Worcester Police fatally shoot man
Police say man was armed with bomb, apparent assault rifle.
A man was killed by Worcester police early Wednesday when he made “furtive movements” toward officers responding to a bomb threat, officials said.
Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said the man called in a bomb threat to the department, and when police arrived at the Grafton Street address, he was in body armor and had a backpack and “what appeared to be” an assault rifle and an explosive device.
“He was telling us that this bomb could and would go off,” the DA said at a Wednesday morning press conference.
Police engaged in a lengthy effort to de-escalate the situation, both with a dispatcher who remained on the phone with the man for about half an hour, and with a negotiating team that arrived at the scene, Early said.
“While negotiations were going on, the man appeared to get more and more agitated,” he said.
The Worcester SWAT team was at the scene, Early said.
“He made some furtive movements toward the officers,” the DA said, and an officer fired “several” shots.
The man killed was identified as Phet Gouvonvong, 31, of Worcester. A handgun with multiple rounds of ammunition was found on him, Early said. He was not known to police.
“I wish I knew what was going through his head because he’s not the type of person to hurt other people,” said a family friend who asked that her name be withheld.
The bomb threat was called in to police at 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, Early said. Gouvonvong was shot at about 12:05 a.m. Wednesday. Worcester Police with a warrant searched the man’s apartment later Wednesday but would not say what, if any, evidence they found.
Worcester Police Lt. Sean Murtha said the officer involved in the shooting is on administrative leave, which is standard procedure with a police shooting, he said.
Early said police are still examining evidence from the scene, including the purported bomb and weapon.
Murtha asked any residents who may have cellphone video of the incident to share it with police.