Worcester Officer In Fatal Shooting Identified

WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester officer who shot and killed a 31-year-old city man early Wednesday has been identified as Paul Cyr, a department spokesperson confirmed Friday evening.

Cyr, 48, is a member of the Worcester police SWAT team, which was called to Grafton Street late Tuesday to confront Phet Gouvonvong, who had threatened to detonate a bomb.

The incident began just before 11 p.m., according to Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early, when Gouvonvong called 911 and began speaking to a dispatcher. Police negotiators responded to the scene to try to end the situation peacefully.

Just after midnight, Cyr opened fire on Gouvonvong. Early had said police though Gouvonvong was holding a rifle, although he was later found with a handgun. He was wearing a vest that appeared to be a bomb, but was a fake, MassLive has reported.

Cyr was placed on administrative leave after the shooting, which is still under investigation.