Massachusetts Officer ‘Justified’ in Shooting Armed Suspect Outside of MGM Springfield — Video

About a half hour before the shooting, Tisdol was in the MGM casino playing a table game. He got into an argument with another player who had asked him to sit out a hand.

MGM security guards were forced to separate Tisdol and the second player during their confrontation. Tisdol left the building after seeing police officers planning to question him. The second player told guards that Tisdol threatened to shoot him and claimed to have a firearm.

No officers were injured during the shooting. The two officers involved in the shooting are assigned to the Massachusetts Gaming Enforcement Unit. The unit includes Massachusetts State Police and Springfield police officers.

Police later discovered an active warrant for Tisdol’s arrest on New York weapons charges. Tisdol previously spent about 12 years in prison for drug charges, his family told WAMC, a local radio station.

Tisdol’s mother, Gloria Carter Vaught, has said Tisdol was a father and music producer. Earlier this month, she had many questions about the shooting.

I have a right to know what exactly happened to him,” Vaught was quoted by New England Public Media. “I want to see all footage from the casino, from the town of Springfield, from the body cams and from dash cams. I have a right to. He’s my son.”

Tisdol also was described as an advocate for police transparency after his own son was shot by police officers five years ago, the man’s widow, Dondi Morrell, told the media in February.

Last week, Gulluni met with community leaders and Tisdol’s relatives to explain their findings before he briefed the media.