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Sayed Faisal, 20, of Cambridge, was identified as the man killed in the shooting after he approached police with a large knife that he had used to harm himself, Ryan said during a late-evening press conference to discuss the investigation.
Cambridge police and paramedics first saw Faisal a little after 1 p.m. when they found him bleeding in an alley on Sidney Street, Ryan said. A man had called 911 after he said he saw a Faisal jump through a window in a neighboring apartment building with what looked like a machete. He told the dispatcher the jumper was sitting on the ground, cutting himself with broken glass from the shattered window and the long, curved blade.
Ryan said the weapon was a 10-to-12-inch-long kukri knife.
Faisal ran when he saw Cambridge police officers approaching him, Ryan continued.
Live Boston detailed the foot chase that followed using the officers' radio transmissions with dispatchers. According to those communications, they followed Faisal from 254 Sidney Street to Putnam Avenue and Waverly Street before reaching 59 Chestnut St.
Officers repeatedly yelled at Faisal to drop the knife, the report said, but he refused. When he moved toward officers, they shot him with a "less-than-lethal sponge round," but it failed to stop Faisal, the prosecutor continued.
That's when an officer shot Faisal with a bullet, Ryan said. Though, she said she could not say how many rounds were fired as its too early in the investigation.
Officers provided first aid until paramedics arrived and rushed Faisal to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later died, Ryan said.
The officer is on paid leave, which is departmental protocol, while the Middlesex District Attorney's Office investigates the shooting, Ryan said. She declined to release the officer's name but said he is an eight-year veteran of the Cambridge Police Department.
Ryan asked anyone who lives in that area who may have seen the shooting or have video of it to contact her office.
Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Yi-An Huang released a joint statement to say they were "deeply saddened" by the shooting.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased. The District Attorney's Office will be conducting a thorough and transparent investigation with the full cooperation of the City and the Police Department. We will review all of the facts and findings as they become available and we are committed to learning from this case to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in our community. This tragic loss of life impacts all of us across the City and we will issue information regarding a community meeting to process together early next week.
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