By Antonio Planas and Jack Encarnacao
Boston Herald
BOSTON — A tactical police truck — with high-powered military-style rifles, other specialized weapons and equipment and a trained crew — was nearby and became a critical factor in Wednesday night’s gunfight against a shotgun-wielding, U.S. Army-trained suspect wearing body armor, police say.
And more specialized weapons are on the way, to be distributed among supervisors to ensure they are available when they are needed, police say.
Police Commissioner William B. Evans has said the tactical unit was instrumental in preventing more casualties and ending the gunfight with suspect Kirk Figueroa, who was killed. Two East Boston patrol cops were critically injured.
“I heard it made a huge difference because if they weren’t there, it could have been a worse situation,” East Boston City Councilor Sal LaMattina said.
Evans confirmed a tactical vehicle — commonly known as a gun truck or gun car — was near the scene in Orient Heights and “helped out in neutralizing the threat that was going on.” In addition to heavier weaponry, the truck carries equipment such as battering rams, and is manned by officers trained in special tactics.
While some advocacy groups have criticized the militarization of police, others say rifles should be more widely available, so officers in trouble, facing heavily armed suspects, don’t have to wait if the gun truck is deployed elsewhere. BPD spokesman James Kenneally said in an email yesterday, “Supervisors will be getting long guns. Long gun discussion is moot. That issue has already been decided. Supervisors will be getting long guns. Whether they would have made a difference last night, they did. Officers equipped with long guns responded to the scene.”