Findings Released in Non-Fatal Shooting of Christopher Shuttle, of Pepperell, who was shot by a Pepperell Police on June 25, 2020

PEPPERELL - The Middlesex District Attorney's Office, the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and the Pepperell Police Department have concluded the investigation into the non-fatal shooting of Christopher Shuttle, 30 of Pepperell, who was shot by a Pepperell Police Officer at his Tarbell Street home on June 25, 2020.

A thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Mr. Shuttle has revealed that Officer Justin Zink of the Pepperell Police Department discharged his service weapon one time striking Mr. Shuttle after determining that his fellow officer, Sergeant Nicholas Parker, was in imminent danger of death or grievous bodily injury at the hands of Christopher Shuttle. Under the circumstances, Officer Zink acted reasonably and lawfully believing that there were no other means available to protect the life of his fellow officer other than by discharging a single round from his department-issued service weapon. Therefore, no criminal charges are warranted.

In the totality of the circumstances that existed on June 25, 2020, Sergeant Nicholas Parker was in imminent danger and apprehension of being stabbed and killed by Christopher Shuttle at the time that Officer Justin Zink shot Christopher Shuttle. Shuttle immediately, unprovoked, and without warning, offensively charged at Sergeant Parker inside 13 Tarbell Street and continuously assaulted him with the knife he brandished, coming dangerously close to actually stabbing him. Officer Zink’s use of force was reasonable, justified and not excessive in the circumstances and therefore, the shooting of Christopher Shuttle was a justified use of deadly force in the reasonable exercise of the defense of another under Massachusetts law.

It is the recommendation of this office that the Pepperell Police Department should consider conducting an after-incident assessment. Such an assessment would serve to evaluate whether any additional or alternative techniques or resources may be utilized in future situations involving police interaction with individuals suffering from mental illness where there is reason to believe that such individuals may react violently to the police. The Pepperell Police Department may also want to consider creating a specialized Crisis Intervention Team, either within its police department or working in cooperation with neighboring police departments, to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to these situations. 

Read the Full Report Here.

This report is being released in redacted form according to the Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 3.4: Fairness to Opposing Party and Counsel to protect the integrity of an open criminal case currently pending against Mr. Shuttle as well as to protect Mr. Shuttle's right to a fair trial. Witness testimony and the names of the victim and civilian witnesses have been redacted in part. Upon the conclusion of the prosecution, the full unredacted report will be available.

Police reports and other additional documents relating to the pending criminal case against Mr. Shuttle are barred from public disclosure at this stage as these records constitute “investigatory materials necessarily compiled out of the public view by law enforcement or other investigatory officials the disclosure of which materials would probably so prejudice the possibility of effective law enforcement that such disclosure would not be in the public interest.” See G.L. c. 4, § 7, cl. 26 (exemption f).

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