An off-duty Boston police officer shot and killed an armed man trying to stab two people at a popular fast food restaurant in Copley Square, according to police over the weekend, and the violent incident has left the neighborhood rattled.
The incident happened at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Boylston Street Chick-fil-A — right in the middle of dinnertime during a busy, warm day in one of Boston's most high-trafficked neighborhoods.
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The off-duty police officer was inside the restaurant on Saturday, when two people ran inside being chased by a man with a knife trying to stab them, police said during a news conference Saturday.
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The officer identified himself as law enforcement, and told the man to drop the knife. Police said he did not comply, and the officer shot him.
The man was pronounced dead at a hospital. The officer was also taken to a hospital as a precaution, and there were no other injuries reported.
Boston police identified the man killed Monday as Lmark Jaramillo, 32, of Roslindale.
There remain a lot of unanswered questions about what happened.
A 17-year-old witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said she stopped in after work and didn't see the man who was shot with a weapon.
"The police officer was like, 'Put it down,' boom, and then that's when everyone ran out," she said.
The restaurant remained closed on Monday, with a representative of the chain saying it was to give employees time to process what happened. The plan was to reopen on Tuesday.
The officer involved has not been publicly named.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office is leading the investigation — Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said he has reason to believe others were involved in what led up to the violence, and asks anyone with information to come forward.
Authorities also indicated the scene may also go beyond the restaurant, explaining that this is a large investigation.
Surveillance footage was obtained Sunday night from a nearby business, showing employees and customers running from the restaurant. First responders arrived minutes later.
Mayor Michelle Wu said trauma services are available through the city. For more information, click here.
During a media availability on Monday, the mayor also defended herself against criticism from some for offering condolences to the family of the attacker in the wake of Saturday's shooting.
"It's unfortunate to politicize being at the scene of a tragic incident," she said. "Our officers are in extremely difficult and dangerous situations every single day keeping our resident safe. I expressed condolences because every loss of life is a horrible tragedy. I am also grateful every hour of every day for the work of our Boston police officers. In this case, we had an off-duty officer who saw something happening, his training kicked in, he took action and surely saved lives."
The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute released a statement Monday that also offered condolences to Jaramillo's family:
Our work over the last three decades to support families who have lost loved ones to violence has taught us this: Every loss of life, no matter the circumstances, leaves behind grieving loved ones who did not make the decisions that led to the tragedy, but who are left to pick up the pieces amid a hole in their hearts that can never be filled. At the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, compassion is not conditional, and thus we thank the police officer involved in Saturday’s tragic incident at Chick-fil-A for acting to prevent harm to innocent bystanders, and at the same time extend our compassion to the family of Lemark Jaramillo. If we are truly committed to cultivating peace in our city, our response to incidents of violence must be rooted in compassion for all who are grieving. Our shared humanity demands nothing less.
