8 Somerville Cops Receive Awards For Diffusing Man With Gun

SOMERVILLE, MA — Eight Somerville police officers were honored for their actions in responding to a man with a gun earlier this month. The man was holding a woman at gunpoint in the back room of an apartment on Highland Avenue Aug. 6, police said.

Police entered the home and found the man holding a woman to the floor by her neck, with a gun pointed at her head. Sgt. Marino and officers Hartsgrove, Ruf and O'Brien entered the room and advised officers Cleary, Haley, Moreira and Morel, who were in the hallway to provide support, to take cover.

The suspect was visibly upset and suffering from a mental health episode, police said. He warned officers "not to come any closer" and said it did not matter to him if he shot the woman or the police. The man used the victim as a shield and flailed the gun around, at times pointing it in the officers' direction.

"Despite being in a deadly situation, Sgt. Marino, along with Officers Hartsgrove, Ruf and O'Brien, risked their own safety, stood their ground, and recognized that any police action would jeopardize the victim's safety, as the suspected continued to use her as a human shield," the Somerville Police Department said in a statement.

The man repeatedly kicked objects toward the door in an attempt to close it and trap the woman in the room with him, police said. Marino blocked those attempts, allowing Ruf and Hartsgrove to verbally deescalate the situation, police said. The man tossed the gun, and officers pulled the woman from the room. Officers brought the man to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

"As a result of the actions taken by Sgt. Marino, and Officers Hartsgrove, Ruf and O'Brien, Lt. Capasso nominated them for the Combat Cross Award," police said in a statement. "All four officers faced an armed adversary and risked their lives but kept calm and helped both victim and suspect get the attention they needed. In addition, Lt. Capasso nominated Officers Cleary, Haley, Moreira, and Morel for the Meritorious Service Award. They, too, displayed courage under adverse conditions in a hazardous situation."