DA releases body camera footage from fatal police shooting in Raynham

RAYNHAM — Prosecutors have released police body camera footage from Tuesday's incident in which two Raynham police officers fatally shot a man who authorities say pointed a gun at them.

Stephen Maclean, 35, was shot by Sgt. Frank Pacheco and Officer Jennifer Lang, both 12-year veterans of the Raynham Police Department, Raynham Police Chief David LaPlante said.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office released three videos without audio on Wednesday afternoon with the officers' faces blurred.

The short body cam footage shows four officers standing inside a hallway at the King Philip Street Apartments. As the door to apartment No. 22 opens, a man can be seen with his right hand behind his body. Just one second later, he points what appears to be a black handgun directly at one of the officers standing in the hallway.

One officer was prepared with a Taser pointed at the door as Maclean opened it. It doesn't appear from the videos that any of the officers were prepared with their service weapons drawn as he opened the door.

The officer who Maclean points the gun at can be seen stepping backward immediately as the gun is pointed in his direction.

The videos are cut short before the shooting takes place.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said Tuesday that Raynham police responded to Maclean's residence multiple times between Monday night and Tuesday for reports of belligerent behavior.

On Tuesday, Maclean's girlfriend told police that he showed up to work and was fired because he was intoxicated. They were later called to the apartment again early Tuesday afternoon and that's when the shooting occurred.

"They're outside the apartment door. He opened the door and pointed a gun at the officers," Quinn said. "A Taser was deployed and two of the officers fired their weapons, resulting in the defendant being hit, going to the ground. They provided medical treatment. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after arriving."

Maclean had appeared in Taunton District Court on Monday after being arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and witness intimidation. He pleaded not guilty, but probation officers asked a judge to detain Maclean because of the new arrest while he's on probation for second-offense drunken driving. The judge denied the request and released Maclean, Quinn said.

Quinn said that a firearm with a 21-round magazine that Maclean was holding was seized. He said Maclean was not licensed to carry a firearm, particularly due to a criminal background.

The DA said he reviewed body camera footage from the officers and that it appears they "clearly acted professionally and appropriately under the extraordinarily difficult circumstances." He said his office will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

The two officers who fired their weapons at Maclean, Pacheco and Lang, were both placed on administrative leave per department policy following the incident, LaPlante said.

"They will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation by the Bristol County District Attorney's Office," the chief said.

The shooting remains under investigation by the DA's office.

Enterprise senior reporter Cody Shepard can be reached by email at cshepard@enterprisenews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Raynham body camera footage: DA releases video of police shooting