The Latest: Police chief speaks about use of force at vigil

The Latest: Police chief speaks about use of force at vigil


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BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the shooting death of a Massachusetts police officer (all times local):

7:45 p.m.

Hundreds of people have gathered at a vigil in Massachusetts for a slain police officer and an innocent bystander who was killed in her own home.

Weymouth Police Chief Richard Grimes spoke Monday night to a crowd at Weymouth High School that included family and friends of 42-year-old Weymouth Officer Michael Chesna and 77-year-old Vera Adams.

During his remarks, Grimes said "hesitation gets officers hurt," describing the moment when Chesna was allegedly attacked by 20-year-old Emanuel Lopes. Grimes also discussed the ongoing debate over use of force by police officers.

Chesna was trying to locate the driver of an erratic car Sunday morning when he spotted Lopes allegedly vandalizing a home. Prosecutors say that's when Lopes hit Chesna in the head with a rock. Chesna fell to the ground, and Lopes took the officer's gun and shot him.

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4:35 p.m.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says the killing a local police officer is a reminder of the dangers that law enforcement officers face every day.

The Republican said his heart goes out to the family of 42-year-old Weymouth Officer Michael Chesna and 77-year-old Vera Adams, an innocent bystander killed in her own home.

Baker told reporters Monday he continues to support the death penalty for those convicted of killing police officers, but added it's unlikely the policy could be become law in Massachusetts any time soon.

Baker said the shooting is also a wake-up call to everyone about the need to support men and woman in law enforcement.

Prosecutors say the man suspected in the killings, 20-year-old Emanuel Lopes, could be fit enough for arraignment Tuesday on two counts of murder.

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3:45 p.m.

Prosecutors now say a man suspected of killing a Massachusetts police officer as well as an innocent bystander in her own home will not face arraignment right away.

A spokesman for the Norfolk district attorney says the office has been informed that 20-year-old Emanuel Lopes will not be medically available for arraignment Monday.

The spokesman says Lopes may be fit enough for arraignment Tuesday on two counts of murder either at South Shore Hospital or Quincy District Court.

Lopes was shot in the leg by police Sunday morning after allegedly killing 42-year-old Weymouth Officer Michael Chesna and 77-year-old Vera Adams.

Lopes' attorney had no comment Monday.

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1:50 p.m.

The woman fatally shot in her Massachusetts home allegedly by a man also suspected of killing a police officer has been identified as Vera Adams.

The 77-year-old Adams is identified in court documents as the woman shot Sunday morning in her own home in Weymouth, south of Boston.

Police have described her as an innocent bystander apparently shot by the same man who shot Officer Michael Chesna.

Her sister-in-law and a friend tell The Boston Globe she was a widow with no children.

Neighbor George Camacho told The Patriot Ledger of Quincy that Adams always had a smile for his children on Halloween as he dropped flowers in front of her house Monday.

The suspect, who was shot in the leg by police, is expected to be arraigned Monday on two counts of murder.

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11:30 a.m.

The mother of a Massachusetts police officer killed in the line of duty several months ago is speaking out about the latest fatal shooting of an officer.

Denise Morency Gannon, the mother of fallen Yarmouth Sgt. Sean Gannon, released a statement Sunday about the death of Weymouth Officer Michael Chesna. Gannon was shot in April while serving an arrest warrant.

Morency Gannon said "Our hearts are broken once again for what can never be justified."

She says lawmakers and the court system fail to adequately support police by allowing dangerous criminals to remain free. She also said gun control needs to be a national priority or "these murders will continue to occur."

Authorities say Chesna was killed Sunday by a man who struck him with a rock before taking the officer's gun and shooting him.

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10:30 p.m.

A man accused of fatally shooting a Massachusetts police officer with the officer's own weapon and an innocent bystander is scheduled to be arraigned on murder charges.

Emanuel Lopes will be arraigned Monday in connection with the deaths of Weymouth officer Michael Chesna and an unidentified woman, who was hit by stray bullets in a nearby home. It's unclear if Lopes has an attorney.

Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey says Weymouth police were responding to a report of a person driving erratically Sunday morning when they discovered a crashed BMW.

Chesna was trying to locate the driver, when he spotted Lopes allegedly vandalizing a home. Morrissey says that's when Lopes hit Chesna in the head with a rock. Chesna fell to the ground, and Lopes took the officer's gun and shot him.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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