Watch CBS News

Retired Worcester Police Officer Shoots Trespassing Man

WORCESTER (CBS) – A retired Worcester police officer fired his gun after spotting a suspicious man trespassing on his property.

Worcester Police told WBZ-TV a homeowner noticed a suspicious man dressed in all black checking car doors parked along Second Street early Sunday morning.

A homeowner grabbed his handgun and asked why the man was on the property. An altercation ensued and both men went to the ground throwing punches.

worcester shooting
The neighborhood where a retired officer shot a man who was looking into cars. (WBZ-TV)

Jonathan Rodrigues said he knew something wasn't right when he heard high neighbor confront the suspicious man.

"I heard Chuck saying 'What are you doing here?' and on the third time that's when I went to the window to see what was going on," he said.

"In a split second, one shot goes off and then Chuck falls back and the kid falls back and kind of runs. That's when Chuck fires again."

worcester shooting
A warning sign where a suspicious man was shot by a retired Worcester Police officer. (WBZ-TV)

Police found 29 year-old Zackery Bailey nearby with two gunshot wounds. They arrested Bailey on a separate warrant for breaking and entering.

Rodrigues said he's glad his neighbor was there to protect them.

"Chuck had his badge out saying 'I'm an officer,'" said Rodrigues. "To just keep going further with it is just foolish."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.