State Police K-9 dies after being shot during standoff in Fitchburg

A State Police K-9 has died after being shot during a standoff in Fitchburg Tuesday afternoon.

K-9 Frankie was a highly decorated police dog during his nine years with the Massachusetts State Police. He was one of the first K-9s to join the State Police STOP Team’s tactical program, participating in hundreds of missions, according to the State Police Association of Massachusetts.

Frankie was 10 years old at the time of his death.

“As K-9 Frankie did hundreds of times before, he placed himself between our members and a dangerous subject,” the State Police Association said in a statement. “However, today this resulted in his ultimate sacrifice, something we will forever remember.”

State Police Col. Christopher Mason said Frankie was shot while attempting to apprehend a fugitive at 40 Oliver St.

The suspect, 38-year-old Matthew Mack, was wanted on warrants stemming from a shooting earlier this month.

Tactical teams arrived on Oliver Street around noon, while negotiators attempted to get Mack to surrender. Troopers tried to take him into custody when he appeared at the back exit of the home around 2:48 p.m.

Mack fired several shots at police, hitting Frankie, Mason said. Frankie was pulled from the scene by the STOP Team and taken by ambulance to Wachusett Animal Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Mason noted that transport by ambulance to an animal hospital was the first instance of emergency care made possible by Nero’s Law, which was signed into law in February.

Mack retreated back into the home and negotiators were unable to make further contact with him. A drone confirmed he was dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound around 5:20 p.m., according to Mason.

Mason said a woman was inside the home with Mack when the standoff began. Crisis negotiators were able to get him to let that woman go.

No weapons were fired by police during the standoff.

Mason said Frankie had “every trait we seek in a good law enforcement officer, canine or human: intelligence, immense courage, and dedication to protecting the public.”

Frankie and his handler, Trooper David Stucenski, were awarded the Medal of Valor in 2017 for apprehending a hit-and-run suspect who shot at them during a foot chase. In 2014, the pair won three awards from the United States Police Canine Association for evidence recovery, agility and other law enforcement skills.

They were recently honored for arresting an armed child pornography suspect who opened fire on them at a West Springfield Motel in 2019.

Frankie was the first Massachusetts State Police K-9 killed in the line of duty.

“When one of our K9s pass – until today, never in the line of duty – our K9 handlers have a saying. ‘Free Time’...Free time and Godspeed, Frankie,” Mason said.

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