District Attorney Investigating Officer Involved Shooting in Everett Square

By Katy Rogers

On a seemingly peaceful spring afternoon last Thursday, April 21, gunshots pierced the peacefulness in Everett Square after an individual caused a disturbance on Chelsea Street, allegedly coming after an Everett Police officer with a knife and being shot four times.

The 48-year-old man died at the hospital on Friday.

According to District Attorney Marian Ryan’s Office, around 4:33 p.m. on Thursday, Everett Police responded to a report of a man harassing pedestrians in front of 432 Chelsea Street in Everett.

When an unnamed police officer arrived at the scene, the suspect allegedly drew a knife on the officer. After ignoring multiple commands to drop his weapon, the man advanced towards the officer with the knife, causing the officer to discharge his weapon four times and strike the individual.

The suspect was identified as Mario Mejia Martinez, 48, (address unknown), who was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. As per protocol, the officer was brought to the hospital after the incident and is currently on administrative leave. The officer has not been identified.

The case remains an open investigation, but taking place in the heart of Everett Square, it caused traffic delays throughout the community and large groups of people witnessed the scene unfold and many flocked to the scene out of in curiosity.

Paulette Gray, who lives in a nearby apartment building, said she was in the shower when she heard multiple gunshots fired.

“I felt safer as a kid; they should have foot patrolmen,” she said, having witnessed the shooting incident at Braza Grill as well this past summer from her apartment window. “They used to have a police box in Everett Square when I was younger,” she added, concerned about the incidents that have taken place in her neighborhood as of recently.

Everett resident Ricky Cummings was on his way to the Parlin Library when the incident unfolded.

“I’m glad I was 10 minutes early, or it might have been another story,” he said, concerned that had he been there a few moments later, he would have been in the midst of the incident.

Other witnesses described the gunshots as sounding like fireworks and gave varying accounts of how many were heard. Many pointed to the four cameras strategically placed in Everett Square hoping for answers and clarity in what occurred as the case unfolds.  With the Square closed for hours, traffic was backed up for many miles as a result

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A crime scene was taped off in Everett Square on Thursday afternoon, April 21, after an officer-involved shooting on a man armed with a knife. Everett Police were actively investigating the scene after the incident occurred for several hours. The District Attorney’s Office is conducting an active investigation of the officer-involved shooting

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