Southwick Police K-9 Officer Thomas L. Krutka meets with a Massachusetts State Police officer after a man was robbed and shot near Westfield Auto Parts in Westfield Friday night. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – A Springfield man was shot Friday evening, apparently when he was accosted by a robber while strolling with a lady friend on Birge Avenue.
City police reports a woman called the emergency number at 9:20 p.m. to report that a man robbed and shot.
Sgt. Jeffrey Baillargeon was the first officer to arrive at Birge Avenue where he found a male party on the ground and a female party standing over him.
Baillargeon reports he found that the man had been shot in his thigh and the bullet had entered his leg in the front and exited in the rear. Baillargeon, a combat veteran, stabilized the wound until an ambulance arrived.
Baillargeon reports the man said that he had been walking on Birge Avenue with the woman, a 31-year-old resident of Powder Mill Village on Union Street, when they observed a male party walking toward them.
The victim told Baillargeon that the suspect, a Hispanic man dressed all in black about 5 foot eleven inches tall, demanded his wallet and tried to take the woman’s purse.
A struggle ensued, the victim said, and the robber produced a silver colored handgun.
Three shots were fired and one struck the victim’s thigh. The robber fled with the victim’s wallet.
Baillargeon reported the suspect’s description to other officers and warned them that the man was armed with a nickel plated .380 automatic pistol.
The victim, a 33-year-old Springfield resident, was transported by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center where he was treated and released.
Police immediately secured the area.
Birge Avenue is a short street which dead ends at the railroad embankment and separates the St. Mary’s schools playground/parking lot from an auto parts store.
State Police assistance was requested and two K-9 teams were dispatched to assist in the search. The Southwick Police K-9 team, Officer Thomas Krutka and Jax, also arrived to help.
Unofficial reports suggest that the dogs were able to establish a track and circled around in the Chapel Street area but, although police searched the neighborhood for hours, no suspect was found.
The investigation continued Saturday when officers canvassed the neighborhood.
