SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) — Police in Springfield, Massachusetts, released city camera footage showing a man pointing a gun at officers Sunday night as they chased him down a city street.
According to Springfield Police Spokesperson Ryan Walsh, police received a ShotSpotter activation report for five rounds of gunshots on High Street around 7:25 p.m. Sunday night. A nearby city camera was able to capture the moments after shots were fired, and showed 43-year-old Jose Montanez running in the street with a gun in his hand, pointing it at officers.
Crime analysts were able to watch in real-time and assist the officers.
As police arrived, Montanez ran down the street but continued to turn around and point a gun at them. Walsh said officers were able to see the gun’s slide was locked, indicating the gun was out of ammunition. The video shows Montanez put the gun down at one point but then pick it back up. An additional ammunition magazine was also seen in his waistband.
Montanez continued running down the street as more officers arrived. According to Walsh, he ran to the back of High School of Commerce on State Street and allegedly tossed his gun onto school property before being arrested. Officers recovered the gun, which had been reported stolen, and the magazine in his waistband.
Montanez has been charged with:
- Carrying a Firearm without a License
- Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License
- Discharging a Firearm within 500 feet of a building
- Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
- Carrying a Dangerous Weapon on School Grounds
- Possession of Ammunition without a FID Card
- Receiving Stolen Property Less than $1200
- Disturbing the Peace
“The outcome of this call is a huge credit to all of the officers on scene who showed incredible and courageous restraint in this situation, and, due to their keen observation during a fast-moving incident, were able to avoid an officer-involved shooting. Reloading or moving the slide forward only takes a moment and likely would have had a much different end result,” Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood said.
No injuries were reported from the incident and shell casings were recovered in the area. Springfield Police continue to investigate the incident.
