Update: The deceased man has been identified as John S. Mellone, 39, of Somerville.
LYNN — A fleeing robbery suspect was shot to death by a Lynn police officer and a Revere patrolman suffered non-threatening injuries Monday as the result of a car chase that involved three communities.
Both police and the Essex County District Attorney’s office are investigating Monday’s shooting. Carrie Kimball, a spokeswoman for DA Jon Blodgett, said the incident was connected to the alleged robbery of a Walgreens in Revere.
“The Essex DA and the State Police Detective Unit are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting on Witt Street in Lynn,” said Kimball. “The suspect was being pursued by Revere police after allegedly robbing a Walgreens in Revere.
“A Revere police officer was transported to Mass. General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” Kimball said.
Shortly after 8 a.m., Revere police received reports of a robbery at the Walgreens located at 430 Broadway. Witnesses informed responding officers that a white male suspect had fled the scene in a silver BMW and provided the plate number, Kimball said.
Revere police attempted to stop the suspect vehicle on Route 107, but the vehicle fled, setting off a pursuit. Lynn police were notified by Revere police at approximately 8:15 a.m. that the pursuit was coming into Lynn on Route 107, Kimball said.
The shooting happened shortly after that, occurring when both a Lynn and a Revere officer were present. A Lynn officer working a detail on the corner of Summer and Witt streets saw the suspect’s vehicle turn down Witt, a dead-end street, with a Revere cruiser in pursuit, Kimball said.
The Lynn officer ran to assist and fired his service weapon at the suspect after seeing the Revere officer outside of his vehicle and blocked by the suspect vehicle, Kimball said.
The suspect died at the scene.
Authorities are investigating how the Revere officer was injured, but the officer was not shot, Kimball said.
Following the shooting, police cordoned off Summer Street near Witt Street Monday morning. Police Chief Leonard Desmarais was on scene and officers were present on both Summer and Witt streets.
Paul Carr, 63, a Lynn resident, said he decided to come check out the scene after watching the news and hearing the incident play out over the Revere police scanner.
Carr said he lives down the street from where the shooting took place and arrived in time to see the Revere officer being treated for his injuries and placed in an ambulance.
“I was watching the news and I heard on the scanner that they were chasing somebody from Revere into Lynn,” said Carr. “I guess somebody spotted him coming over the GE bridge, and then when he came down this way, I think he kind of figured that he can’t go nowhere because the street’s all blocked off, so he figures he’s going to take this one and that’s when they got him.”
Carr said the injured officer was male and appeared to be in “pretty good shape” when he was being attended to by other first responders. He said there were about 30 police cars on scene when he got there, including state police troopers, along with officers from Lynn and Revere.
“They were mostly focusing their attention on the officer,” said Carr. “They had everybody down there.”
Citing the Austin Square shooting that left a 27-year-old man with life-threatening injuries last week, Carr said violence is starting to get bad in the city again.
“I’ve been living in the city for 30 years and this is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Carr.
The DA’s office said the investigation is both “active and fluid.”
Mayor Thomas M. McGee said that the Lynn officer involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave, as required by Lynn Police Department policy.
“I am confident that the District’s Attorney’s office will undertake and complete a full and fair investigation of this incident,” said McGee.