FALMOUTH – Two Falmouth police officers were shot late Friday afternoon while responding to reports of a disturbance in East Falmouth.
One officer was grazed in the neck and has already been released from Falmouth Hospital.
The second officer was struck twice in the chest, once in his protective vest and the second time just above the vest.
He was still being treated late Friday night.
The suspect, identified as Malik Antonio Koval, 21, of Falmouth, was also shot when police returned fire and was taken to an off-Cape hospital.
According to Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe, all three will survive.
He said officers responded to the area just before 5:30 p.m. for reports of a disturbance in the street.
“When they arrived, they encountered the individual. He was difficult to have a conversation with. He got more and more agitated and finally produced a weapon and began to shoot at the police officers,” said O’Keefe.
State Police and officers from Falmouth, Mashpee and Barnstable were taking part in the investigation.
O’Keefe said everyone was grateful the officers were alive.
“It’s a dangerous job police do and we should be grateful to them for doing it,” he said.
A man who lives next door heard the shots and ran outside to see what was happening.
“I looked over into the yard where I heard the shots, and there was a kid laying on the ground. He was still moving,” said the man who did want to be publicly identified as a witness.
He said despite being shot, the officers were able to arrest Koval, who had also been shot.
He’s facing several charges, including assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
As other officers arrived, the neighbor said they entered the suspect’s house with K-9 units. They also searched a camper in the yard and the garage.
He said both injured officers were assisted into ambulances on arrival.
At a briefing in Falmouth police headquarters late Friday night, Chief Ed Dunne said one of the officers is single and the other is married with three children.
He did not officially release their names.
Dunne said the assault on police officers has to stop, referring to the recent shooting deaths of Yarmouth Sgt. Sean Gannon and Weymouth Sgt. Michael Chesna.
Falmouth Police Chief Ed Dunne statement on 2 officers shot 7/27/18 from Cape Wide News LLC on Vimeo.
A published report in a Rhode Island newspaper indicates Koval led police on a chase in Westerly, Rhode Island in November 2017.
He was eventually stopped and charged with reckless driving and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana in that incident.
A family spokeperson and relative of the suspect said they are trying to make sense of it all and don’t believe Koval would ever intend to shoot police officers.
“We know this is by no means something he would want to do. It isn’t something that he had ever been raised to do, to ever in any way attempt to harm even a fly,” said Emmalyn Anderson of Falmouth.
She also said the Koval family was asking for privacy as they dealt with the shooting.
“We would like to make sure we take all the time we can to help Malik in every way humanly possible just to make sure he is able to get himself back to the right mental state where he’s able to be the kind, caring, compassionate, loving kid that we all have known and loved for our whole lives,” said Anderson, whose step-sister is Koval’s mother.
“He’s a wonderful, wonderful boy, really and truly. He’s been a love and caring kid and this particular situation is something none of us saw coming,” said Anderson.
Route 28 in the area of Seacoast Shores Blvd. was closed Friday night while the investigation was ongoing. It was re-opened just
The photos above were take by a neighbor who witnessed the scene
The scene early evening
Tweet from Mass State Police: Massachusetts State Police patrol, tactical, investigative and forensic units are responding to Falmouth to assist local police in the response to the shooting of two Falmouth police officers. Both officers are being transported to hospitals. A suspect was also shot in the incident and is also being transported. The situation is fluid; No further information is available for release at this time.
Updated MSP tweet: The two Falmouth officers are expected to survive. State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Cape & Islands District Attorney are leading the investigation along with assistance from the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, State Police Ballistics and Falmouth Police. The two officers were transported to a Falmouth hospital for treatment. The suspect first went to Beth Israel in Plymouth, then subsequently flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital. Troopers from Troop D guarded the suspect while in the Plymouth hospital. Troopers assigned to Troop H will guard the suspect while at the Boston hospital.
Statement from Falmouth Police: Two Falmouth police officers were injured in a shooting Friday evening. At 5:35 pm, two officers responded to a disturbance on Ashley Drive in East Falmouth. During the investigation they were both shot and injured. In addition, the suspect was also shot and injured. The two officers, along with the suspect were transported to Falmouth Hospital by the Falmouth Fire & Rescue Dept. for gunshot wounds. The Falmouth Police and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Cape & Islands District’s Office are investigating the incident.
Saturday morning statement from Falmouth Police: Both police officers are expected to recover. One officer was treated for a gunshot wound to the neck, and the second officer is being treated for a gunshot wound to the chest above his ballistic vest. He was also shot at least once in his ballistic vest.
The suspect, 21-year-old Malik Koval of East Falmouth, was flown from Beth Israel in Plymouth to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for further treatment of gunshot wounds he sustained during the incident.
Shattered glass in the street.
Thankfully, the two officers shot today are expected to recover but today’s events reopen all too fresh and painful memories of the recent murder of Sgt. Michael Chesna in Weymouth and the murder of Yarmouth K9 Sgt. Sean Gannon in April.
