Man, 19, killed in shoot-out with police
Devastated by the recent death of a close friend, Manuel “Junior’’ DaVeiga went to pay condolences to the family Saturday night and then visited a makeshift memorial to him on Navillus Terrace in Dorchester, friends said.
Moments after he arrived at the memorial, DaVeiga was engaged in a shoot-out with police.
He died of gunshot wounds. It remains unclear whether the shot that killed him came from police or his own gun, according to two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation.
John Cardosa, who grew up with 19-year-old DaVeiga near the site of the shooting, said he and several other friends were standing by the memorial when they heard two shots ring out and saw numerous police officers rush in their direction.
“Then there were more shots and more shots,’’ said Cardosa. “They didn’t have to shoot him like that, 15 times. He was running away and they just kept shooting at him.’’
Eddy Chrispin, Boston police spokesman, said yesterday, “Based on preliminary investigation, it appears he fired on us, and officers returned fire.’’
DaVeiga was among several men standing on a corner who were approached by police about 9:41, according to police. The teen fled when officers drew near, Chrispin said.
Police were in the area to question people who had been gathering at the memorial, made of candles, flowers, and liquor bottles, erected several days ago for 17-year-old Andrew Tavares, according to the two law enforcement officials.
Tavares, who was shot to death March 28 on Maywood Street in Roxbury, was a childhood friend of DaVeiga.
A police official, who requested anonymity because the case remains under investigation, said officers believed DaVeiga was involved in some of the gun-related violence that has been plaguing the area the past couple of weeks and wanted to talk to him.
The two law enforcement officials said officers believed DaVeiga was a gang member and carried a gun. When the officers approached DaVeiga, he fled, then turned around and began firing at them, the sources said. The officers returned fire, they said.
An autopsy will be conducted today, they said.
At the scene of the shooting Saturday night, Police Superintendent Daniel Linskey said police were investigating whether DaVeiga might have been shot with his own weapon.
One of the two sources said DaVeiga was shot in the head and stomach.
DaVeiga’s sister, Carla, said yesterday at the family home in Quincy that her brother wasn’t a troublemaker and was trying to make his life better. He was working toward obtaining his GED and had aspirations of going to college, she said.
“My brother would never kill himself,’’ she said. “He didn’t have the greatest life but he wouldn’t kill himself. He wouldn’t take the easy way out. The cops are the ones who are cowards. They shot him 15 times.’’
Their mother left Cape Verde about 20 years ago, she said. Carla DaVeiga was born in Cape Verde, but Manuel and another brother were born in the United States.
About two years ago, their mother moved the family from their home on Bowdoin Street in Dorchester to raise her children in Quincy because she felt safer there.
Yesterday, Carla said her mother was upstairs crying and declined to speak with a reporter.
DaVeiga fell near 10 Navillus Terrace. Yesterday, at the opposite end of the street where the memorial to Tavares had been erected, two candles marked the spot where DaVeiga died.
Isaura Mendes, a Cape Verdean peace activist, visited the scene yesterday and spoke with friends of DaVeiga’s.
“They’re in pain,’’ she said. “All the violence that they see, and they keep it all inside because they have nobody to talk with and they feel hopeless.’’
Mendes said she saw DaVeiga on Wednesday at the cemetery where Tavares was buried. A day later, she saw him at St. Peter’s Church on Bowdoin Street at a meeting she helped organize to counsel the area’s Cape Verdean youth.
“He was really sad; he felt so much pain because of his friend’s death,’’ Mendes said.
With the death of DaVeiga and the fatal stabbing of an unidentified man in Allston Saturday night, the number of homicides in Boston stood at 16 yesterday compared with 12 at the same time last year, according to Chrispin.
A spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney’s office, which is investigating the shooting, said the officers spoke with the teenager briefly before he fled and opened fire.
Jake Wark said three or four officers, including a state trooper assigned to the Boston police gang unit, were involved.
State Police, who have a specialized team to investigate police-related shootings, will also be assisting in the investigation, said David Procopio, spokesman for the State Police. He said the number of officers who fired shots and their identities would be part of the investigation.
“The preliminary investigation suggests that the suspect opened fire and that the police officers returned fire and that there were multiple shots fired from both sides,’’ Procopio said.
A firearm was recovered at the scene, police said yesterday.
The officers involved were taken to the hospital for treatment for stress and placed on administrative leave, according to procedure in a police-related shooting, Chrispin said.
Police officers were ordered to patrol in tandem yesterday because of apparent death threats directed at police after the shooting, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation.
At the family home yesterday, Carla DaVeiga said her brother was about to become a father; his girlfriend is expecting a baby. Manuel DaVeiga was a handyman around the house, always fixing things, she said.
“The last time I spoke with him, I believe last Wednesday, I told him to be careful out there, and he said he was and that he loves me.’’
Noah Bierman of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/05/man_19_killed_in_shoot_out_with_police/
By Brian R. Ballou and Maria Cramer
Globe Staff / April 5, 2010
Labels: Boston Police Killings , Police , Police Brutality
Moments after he arrived at the memorial, DaVeiga was engaged in a shoot-out with police.
He died of gunshot wounds. It remains unclear whether the shot that killed him came from police or his own gun, according to two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation.
John Cardosa, who grew up with 19-year-old DaVeiga near the site of the shooting, said he and several other friends were standing by the memorial when they heard two shots ring out and saw numerous police officers rush in their direction.
“Then there were more shots and more shots,’’ said Cardosa. “They didn’t have to shoot him like that, 15 times. He was running away and they just kept shooting at him.’’
Eddy Chrispin, Boston police spokesman, said yesterday, “Based on preliminary investigation, it appears he fired on us, and officers returned fire.’’
DaVeiga was among several men standing on a corner who were approached by police about 9:41, according to police. The teen fled when officers drew near, Chrispin said.
Police were in the area to question people who had been gathering at the memorial, made of candles, flowers, and liquor bottles, erected several days ago for 17-year-old Andrew Tavares, according to the two law enforcement officials.
Tavares, who was shot to death March 28 on Maywood Street in Roxbury, was a childhood friend of DaVeiga.
A police official, who requested anonymity because the case remains under investigation, said officers believed DaVeiga was involved in some of the gun-related violence that has been plaguing the area the past couple of weeks and wanted to talk to him.
The two law enforcement officials said officers believed DaVeiga was a gang member and carried a gun. When the officers approached DaVeiga, he fled, then turned around and began firing at them, the sources said. The officers returned fire, they said.
An autopsy will be conducted today, they said.
At the scene of the shooting Saturday night, Police Superintendent Daniel Linskey said police were investigating whether DaVeiga might have been shot with his own weapon.
One of the two sources said DaVeiga was shot in the head and stomach.
DaVeiga’s sister, Carla, said yesterday at the family home in Quincy that her brother wasn’t a troublemaker and was trying to make his life better. He was working toward obtaining his GED and had aspirations of going to college, she said.
“My brother would never kill himself,’’ she said. “He didn’t have the greatest life but he wouldn’t kill himself. He wouldn’t take the easy way out. The cops are the ones who are cowards. They shot him 15 times.’’
Their mother left Cape Verde about 20 years ago, she said. Carla DaVeiga was born in Cape Verde, but Manuel and another brother were born in the United States.
About two years ago, their mother moved the family from their home on Bowdoin Street in Dorchester to raise her children in Quincy because she felt safer there.
Yesterday, Carla said her mother was upstairs crying and declined to speak with a reporter.
DaVeiga fell near 10 Navillus Terrace. Yesterday, at the opposite end of the street where the memorial to Tavares had been erected, two candles marked the spot where DaVeiga died.
Isaura Mendes, a Cape Verdean peace activist, visited the scene yesterday and spoke with friends of DaVeiga’s.
“They’re in pain,’’ she said. “All the violence that they see, and they keep it all inside because they have nobody to talk with and they feel hopeless.’’
Mendes said she saw DaVeiga on Wednesday at the cemetery where Tavares was buried. A day later, she saw him at St. Peter’s Church on Bowdoin Street at a meeting she helped organize to counsel the area’s Cape Verdean youth.
“He was really sad; he felt so much pain because of his friend’s death,’’ Mendes said.
With the death of DaVeiga and the fatal stabbing of an unidentified man in Allston Saturday night, the number of homicides in Boston stood at 16 yesterday compared with 12 at the same time last year, according to Chrispin.
A spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney’s office, which is investigating the shooting, said the officers spoke with the teenager briefly before he fled and opened fire.
Jake Wark said three or four officers, including a state trooper assigned to the Boston police gang unit, were involved.
State Police, who have a specialized team to investigate police-related shootings, will also be assisting in the investigation, said David Procopio, spokesman for the State Police. He said the number of officers who fired shots and their identities would be part of the investigation.
“The preliminary investigation suggests that the suspect opened fire and that the police officers returned fire and that there were multiple shots fired from both sides,’’ Procopio said.
A firearm was recovered at the scene, police said yesterday.
The officers involved were taken to the hospital for treatment for stress and placed on administrative leave, according to procedure in a police-related shooting, Chrispin said.
Police officers were ordered to patrol in tandem yesterday because of apparent death threats directed at police after the shooting, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation.
At the family home yesterday, Carla DaVeiga said her brother was about to become a father; his girlfriend is expecting a baby. Manuel DaVeiga was a handyman around the house, always fixing things, she said.
“The last time I spoke with him, I believe last Wednesday, I told him to be careful out there, and he said he was and that he loves me.’’
Noah Bierman of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/05/man_19_killed_in_shoot_out_with_police/
By Brian R. Ballou and Maria Cramer
Globe Staff / April 5, 2010
Labels: Boston Police Killings , Police , Police Brutality
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