Police Shoot, Kill Man In Rush-Hour Standoff: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Friday, March 26. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Police ended a standoff by fatally shooting a suspect in Quincy Friday morning.
• A "noose-like" rope found in a North Shore park this week was actually a rope used to string up a pinata at a children's party.
• The state's February unemployment rate was 7.1 percent.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

Police shot and killed a man in Quincy Friday morning after he got out of a stolen police cruiser with the car's patrol rifle.

The tragic end came after string of events, starting with a convenience store robbery in Rockland. Responding officers chased the 36-year-old man on foot, and during the chase the man circled back and stole a police cruiser parked near the 7-11.

After a car chase, police surrounded the stolen cruiser on Burgin Parkway in Quincy, stalling highway and MBTA traffic. The suspect tried to flee, but the car's tires were damaged by spike strips and the man finally stopped the car near BJ's Gas Station in Quincy.

Police were trying to negotiate with the man when he burst out of the car with the gun. He was taken to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead around 10:15 this morning.

Read the full story.

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Friday's Other Top Stories

It was a pinata: Swampscott police sought to put residents concerned about a potentially disturbing rope left in Linscott Park this weekend at ease on Thursday when they said someone had come forward and said the looped rope hanging from a tree branch was used for a pinata. Police said the person, who wanted to remain anonymous, contacted the department's detective office and said the rope was left in the park following a child's party last week.

Police shooter gets plea deal: A man accused of shooting two Falmouth police officers in 2018 will spend 8 to 12 years in prison. Mark Koval, 23, of East Falmouth, agreed to plead guilty to avoid a longer sentence.

For information on getting a coronavirus vaccine in Massachusetts, visit Patch's information hub.

They Said It

"Vaccination is at the top of our COVID-19 agenda. The city of Boston is pursuing a citywide approach that is focused on equity."

• Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey, announcing a $1.5 million grant program to expand access to vaccinations. The grant is aimed at increasing equity in distribution.

By The Numbers

7.1 percent: The February unemployment rate in Massachusetts, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the rate has fallen months, it still has not come close to the pre-pandemic rate of 2.7 percent.