Officer home from hospital day after he was shot 4 times
By WBZ Staff
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BROCKTON, Massachussets (WBZ) — The Brockton Police Officer who was shot four times Thursday evening was released from the hospital Friday.
Officer Robert Otis was wearing his Kevlar vest when he was shot while responding to a shooting outside a home on Taber Avenue around 5:45 p.m. He was rushed to Boston Medical Center as a standoff with the gunman began.
Otis spent the night at the hospital getting treatment for non-life threatening wounds, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, and went home Friday morning.
Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan and Police Chief Manny Gomes met with Otis at police headquarters Friday morning.
“He’s a young recruit. He’s not out of break-in yet and he did an amazing job last night and his actions saved his own life, possibly the lives of others,” Gomes told reporters Friday.
Gomes said Otis is home healing, but is still in pain because he has a round “lodged in him.” The chief added that doctors decided to take a “cautious approach” on doing surgery on the officer right now, so he was released.
Otis just graduated from the Boston Police Academy.
“This is definitely a calling for him and he showed it,” Gomes said, fighting back tears. He said he was getting emotional because, “we almost lost a guy.”
“I have a young son on Boston P.D. and I see him in all these kids and it was almost a tragic event. You almost feel like you’re responsible for them and I’m so happy that he’s safe.”
Security video from a neighbor’s house showed police officers crouched behind cars with guns drawn during the standoff.
After nearly four hours of negotiations Thursday night, the gunman came outside and shot himself, according to Cruz. He was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
He was identified Friday as 32-year-old Kevin Serpa. Authorities said he lived at the home on Taber Avenue.
During the incident Thursday night, another man was found shot to death in an SUV parked near the house. He was later identified as 28-year-old Christopher Gomes of Brockton.
Friends and family of Gomes released balloons and lit candles for the young Brockton man taken by gun violence.
“Nobody knows what even caused this to even go down the way it went down,” a friend said.
His family says he loved soccer and being with his parents, siblings, and nephews. “I love him to death. He’ll be missed,” said Manny Rosario, the victim’s brother-in-law.
Rosario says the turnout to their vigil is a testament to Gomes. “He’s a good soul. He’s a good kid. He’s loved by everybody else around here,” Rosario said.
The district attorney’s office said it does not appear to be a random act of violence and the shooting remains under investigation.
“Massachusetts State Police and Brockton Police continue to interview witnesses and review video surveillance,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement Friday.
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