Former Melrose Cop Cleared in Shooting

MELROSE, MA - A Former Melrose police officer was cleared by the Middlesex District Attorney in the shooting death of a Lowell man.

Former Melrose police officer Guillermo Rojas had been placed on administrative leave by the Lowell Police pending the outcome of the investigation, along with Officer Chase Suong. District Attorney Marian Ryan cleared Rojas and Suong of any wrongdoing today.

“The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Lowell Police Department have completed the investigation into the facts and circumstances of the shooting of Jose Perez, 39, of Lowell, MA, in Lowell, on March 26, 2016," Ryan said in a statement. "This investigation concludes that, in the totality of the circumstances, the two officers were justified in the use of deadly force and that there was no criminal conduct involved in the shooting of Jose Perez.”

This incident began at approximately 10:53 p.m. on March 26, when Lowell Police responded to two 911 calls: one from a man, identified as Jose Perez, in which he stated he was going to kill everyone and requested police officers be sent; and a second call from a female reporting that a suicidal man armed with a knife was threatening to kill himself, according to the statement.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers encountered a combative male armed with a meat cleaver and another large knife. Ignoring commands to drop his weapons, the man continued to advance on officers, according to the statement. Officers discharged their weapons, striking Perez. Medical treatment was immediately administered by the two officers along with additional personnel who responded to the scene. Perez was transported to Lowell General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, by statute, has the duty and authority to oversee all death investigations in Middlesex County.

The investigation into the officer-involved shooting included interviews of all the responding police officers and civilian witnesses; ballistics examination of evidence found at the scene; review of radio transmissions; police reports; and review of the medical examiner’s findings, according to the statement.