Rt 9 Fatal Shooting In Brookline: DA Rules Police Were Justified

BROOKLINE, MA — Six officers, including five Boston Police officers and one State Trooper, were doing their job when they shot and killed a man who had brandished a fake gun in Boston and lead them on a police chase along on Route 9 to Chestnut Hill on Feb. 7, the Norfolk District Attorney's office said Monday.

"In light of the consistent narrative of events emerging from law enforcement interviews, video footage, audio recordings, and civilian witnesses, for each of these six police officers, I find that the use of force by police in Brookline was objectively reasonable and justified," said Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey in the final report.

The DA's office released its final report Monday with accompanying images and video from traffic cameras and police bodycam video.

Juston Root, 41, of Mattapan, who had a history of mental health issues, lead Boston Law enforcement officers on a chase from Brigham and Women's along Route 9 into Chestnut Hill before crashing near Hammond Street and running toward a parking lot, where they fatally shot him.

Earlier that day a Boston police officer shot a Brigham and Women's Hospital valet worker by mistake during a chaotic scene at the hospital's Longwood campus.

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said on Feb. 7, Root had brandished a replica gun at the hospital when officers showed up. Video shows one of the officers approach Root, who pulls out what is now known to be the fake firearm. The officer retreats as he fires his gun at Root, as other officers arrive and shoot at Root, who was hit in the leg, but managed to take off in a silver Chevy Volt. One of the bullets aimed at him ricocheted and hit a valet worker in the head, officials said.

The DA's office said Root was driving about 70 to 80-miles per hour, weaving in and out of traffic along Route 9 as he passed Chestnut Hill Avenue. Then, just seconds before he hit several cars at the intersection at Hammond Street in Brookline, his Chevy Volt logged him driving 90-miles-per hour, according to the DA's office.

Several people in the area heard the crash, including a woman near the shopping area who also saw Root get out of the car and fall down. Police said she started to walk toward him as if to render assistance, when police arrived and told her to get away from him. Officers then shouted for Root to put his hands on the ground, as a number of bystanders, bodycam footage and dispatch tape confirmed.

On bodycam footage (see below) you can hear one of the officers getting ready to tackle Root, when others warned him that he was holding what they believed to be a gun, later determined to be fake, near his chest.

Rather than putting his hands on the ground, Root reached inside his jacket pocket, according to police, at which point multiple officers saw the gun and yelled "gun."

Six of the officers opened fire. "The entire shooting incident lasted less than 3.5 seconds," according to the DA report. The autopsy report showed he was shot 26 times.

Read the final report from the Norfolk District Attorney's Office:

03-09-20 NDAO Final Report on February 7 2020 Use of Force in Brookline by ReporterJenna on Scribd

READ MORE: Hospital Valet Shot, Police Chase Ends With Fatal Shooting In Brookline

Boston Police Officer Shot Valet Worker At Hospital: DA

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).