LYNN — Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett has determined after his investigation that the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Randolph McClain by police on Jan. 29, 2016 was justified.
“The investigation found that Mr. McClain not only failed to comply to Lynn Police officers’ repeated orders to drop his weapon, but also pointed the weapon at officers and at a passing motorist whom he car-jacked,” Blodgett said in a statement.
“When Officers Bernard, McEachern and Seaman fired their weapons, they reasonably believed that they, their fellow officers and the public were in imminent danger of being seriously injured or killed by Mr. McClain and, therefore, the shooting of McClain does not constitute a criminal act.”
Prosecutors said Lynn Police Sgt. John Geary and Officers John Bernard, Joshua Seaman, Michael McEachern and Matthew Coppinger responded to 106 Bay View Ave. to serve five arrest warrants to McClain, who was the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Lynn Police Domestic Violence Unit for reports of escalating threats of violence to his former girlfriend and members of her family.
Lynn Police officers had been given an officer safety warning the previous day at roll call about McClain’s escalating violence and were told that he was known to carry firearms, prosecutors said.
The officers who entered the residence determined that McClain was in a room on the second floor, and when they asked him to come out, he told them that he had a gun. An officer standing outside then relayed that McClain had jumped out the window onto a roof, and then to the ground, and ran toward Western Avenue. Officers pursued him, prosecutors said.
McClain went up to a passing motorist, pointed his gun at her and told her to get out of the car or he would shoot her. He got into the car and was repeatedly ordered by police to drop his weapon. McClain then turned his gun on officers. Officers Bernard, McEachern and Seaman fired their weapons multiple times, striking McClain, prosecutors said.
The autopsy determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. He had three bullet wounds, in his left forearm, right lower leg and in his head.
The District Attorney’s office has referred the matter to the Lynn Police Department for whatever internal administrative review is deemed appropriate.
Last week, Officers Bernard, Coppinger, McEachern and Seaman received the Medal of Valor at the Trooper George L. Hanna Memorial Awards for Bravery Ceremony in the State House for their actions during the incident.