SPENCER, Mass. — Authorities have identified the man killed during a police standoff Tuesday night at the Spencer Fair shopping plaza as Patrick Madison, 35, a Worcester Department of Public Works employee, according to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
Officials said Madison was the suspect in two separate incidents that occurred less than one mile apart on Tuesday evening. The first incident was reported shortly after 5:00 p.m., when Spencer police responded to a residence at 20 Main Street for a report of a person suffering from a gunshot wound. Details about the victim in that shooting have not been released.
Approximately 12 minutes later, officers located a suspect matching the description near West Main Street. When police attempted to make contact, authorities said Madison produced a firearm and fired toward officers before fleeing the area.
Madison later barricaded himself inside the Family Dollar store at the Spencer Fair Plaza on Route 9. The store was evacuated as multiple agencies responded, including the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (CEMLEC). Negotiators, a SWAT team, K9 units, drones, and the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing were deployed.
Authorities said officers eventually found Madison hiding inside a closed bathroom at the rear of the store. During the encounter, Madison again fired his weapon, striking a Millbury Police officer who is a member of the CEMLEC SWAT team. Officers returned fire, fatally wounding Madison.
The injured officer was transported to UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester and is reported to be in stable condition.
The investigation is being led by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Spencer Police Department and Massachusetts State Police detectives. Spencer Police Chief Michael L. Befford said the incident was isolated and targeted, and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
