Authorities say the former acting fire chief of New Bedford, Massachusetts, was killed after opening fire on police in Fairhaven Friday, injuring one officer from Acushnet.
The shooting happened at Bayside Lounge on Sconticut Neck Road. Police responded around 5 p.m. to a report of an intoxicated man, later identified as 55-year-old Paul Coderre of Dartmouth, who was fired as New Bedford's acting fire chief early last year.
Coderre stepped out of the bar after an altercation and was stopped trying to get in his vehicle, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said at a news conference Friday night.
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“He was in possession of a weapon, fired it, they went out of their way to try to subdue him without using deadly force and unfortunately as a result of him firing his gun, they returned fire and he died.” said Quinn.
An officer with the Acushnet Police Department was shot in the leg. Quinn said he has been treated and released from the hospital.
“It was really wild to hear especially like this area this is a very nice area we're part of the cape so to hear something like this is super crazy and out of the ordinary especially in Fairhaven. It’s such a quiet town.” said resident Jacob Cuoco.
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A spokesperson for New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell told NBC10 Boston earlier that Coderre was allegedly the man who shot the officer.
Mitchell fired Coderre in January of 2022 "for dishonesty and untruthfulness in connection with alleged work-related injuries," according to the city's website.
Coderre allegedly claimed to have been hurt on the job in 2019 and was placed on injury leave in August of 2020. The city said an investigation found video evidence of him "performing activities inconsistent with his alleged injuries, including his unloading, without assistance, a 176-pound barbecue smoker grill from the bed of his personal pickup truck."
State Rep. Steve Xiarhos expressed support for the injured officer.
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