The off-duty sheriff's deputy who fatally shot a man on a killing spree inside a Massachusetts home and mall five months ago is speaking out as officials release their final report on the deadly rampage.
Bristol County District Attorney's Office says investigators found that Plymouth County Sheriff's Deputy Lt. James Creed was "clearly justified" in shooting and killing Arthur DaRosa, who had killed Patricia Slavin inside her Taunton home and George Heath at the Taunton Silver City Galleria mall on May 10.
"It's something that's going to stick with us forever," Lt. Creed said Thursday morning. "It was an unfortunate incident and it's something we're never going to forget."
Lt. Creed was off-duty as he was having dinner with his wife at the Bertucci's inside the mall when he saw a commotion.
First thinking it was a boyfriend and girlfriend fighting, Lt. Creed said he quickly realized it was much more than that after DaRosa fatally stabbed Heath. He quickly grabbed his badge and withdrew his firearm and gave DaRosa commands to drop the knife and get on the ground.
That's when he says DaRosa focused on him and started charging, saying, "We're both going to die today."
"I can't even describe it," Creed said. "He just had a strange, glazed-over look in his eyes. Very serious. No emotion at all, really."
In the report, officials said DaRosa, a 28-year-old living in Fall River, had been dealing with a deep depression since ending a relationship with his girlfriend and the mother of his two children, and was described as "manic and depressed" and "up and down" during the weekend before the stabbing spree.
He was taken to Morton Hospital on May 9 after telling his sister he was having suicidal thoughts.
While he was being checked by Brockton Taunton/Attleboro Crisis just after midnight, the evaluator noted DaRosa showed no evidence of psychosis or thought disorder, wasn't feeling suicidal at the time and denied any homicidal ideation, according to the Bristol DA.
Eventually, the evaluator said DaRosa's "judgment is good" and that he was "feeling overwhelmed and worried" due to the break up with the mother of his children and by the responsibilities of child care, work and going to night school.
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He was discharged from Morton Hospital hours later, and later during the evening of May 10, would proceed to crash his vehicle into a home on Myricks Street, stab both of the residents of the home, killing one of them, and then rammed his already-damaged vehicle into an entrance of Macy's at the mall, continuing to assault and or stab four people and stabbing another man to death.
He was killed after being shot once by off-duty Plymouth County Sheriff Deputy James Creed, who was finishing dinner with his wife as DaRosa entered Bertucci's.
Creed's wife Laura, a nurse, started helping the injured, including a pregnant waitress.
"We've talked about, you know, if something happens, you know, he helps and I run, but I wasn't leaving anywhere without him," she said.
George Heath's wife Rosemary says she's thankful for both Lt. Creed and his wife.
"He says he's not a hero, but he is. I would not be here today. I know I would not be here today if he were not in that restaurant," she said.
Creed, a K-9 officer, has a new dog he's working with who has been named "Heath" after George Heath.
