A NYC Corrections officer killed a Springfield, Massachusetts police officer yesterday, and then shot and wounded his girlfriend before killing himself, according to Springfield authorities. Correction Officer Shawn Bryan, 35, who worked at Rikers, had gone to Massachusetts to see Charlene Mitchell, his estranged girlfriend and the mother of his one-year-old child. It just so happened that less than an hour before Bryan arrived, Mitchell had obtained a restraining order against him.
The visit became violent, prompting Mitchell to call the police in fear for her life. Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose responded, and while he was talking to them outside her home (the court order allowed Bryan to remove his belongings from the apartment), Bryan "became violent and locked himself in the apartment with his ex-girlfriend," according to WWLP. "While Officer Ambrose tried to get inside, Bryan shot him through the door, then opened the door and shot him again."
Bryan then shot Mitchell, went to his car and shot himself. All this occurred while their young daughter was inside the home.
Ambrose, a beloved 36-year veteran, and Bryan were declared dead at Bayside Medical Center, while Mitchell is in critical condition. The court order quotes Mitchell as saying, "Shawn has been physical to me, he has always told me that he is crazy and his head is not good. I have had problems with him from the day we started to date." The restraining order also required Bryan to surrender his firearms to police.
NYC Corrections Commissioner Dora Schriro said, "Each of us takes an oath of office to preserve and protect the lives of others. This is an unspeakable tragedy."
