January 2, 2008
Judge rules
in chief’s favor
Denial of Ragsdale firearm license
By Scott J. Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
scroteau@telegram.com
WORCESTER— Westboro District Court
Judge Paul S. Waickowski has concluded that Shrewsbury Police Chief James J.
Hester Jr. acted properly in denying Mark P. Ragsdale’s application for a new
license to carry a firearm either because of the car dealer’s “night vision
disability” or “his negligent discharge of a firearm.”
In May, Chief Hester denied the application from Mr. Ragsdale, 41, of 17A
Farmington Drive, Shrewsbury, for a new license to carry a firearm, based on the
car dealer’s shooting of then-rookie police Officer Stephen P. Rice inside Mr.
Ragsdale’s home on July 14, 2006.
Mr. Ragsdale then filed a civil suit in Westboro District Court, asking a judge
to find that Chief Hester erred in his decision, but the judge denied the
petition.
Mr. Ragsdale now has a civil suit pending in Worcester Superior Court, seeking
to overturn Judge Waickowski’s recent ruling.
Peter L. Ettenberg, Mr. Ragsdale’s lawyer, said Judge Waickowski’s decision was
flawed. In his ruling, the judge wrote that Officer Rice identified himself
seconds before he was shot.
In police reports obtained by the Telegram & Gazette, Officer Rice told
investigators he saw Mr. Ragsdale holding a gun and shouted, “Police; drop the
gun.” The officer, who was out of work after the shooting and returned to patrol
Sept. 11, said he then heard a shot and found he had been struck in the abdomen.
Mr. Ettenberg contends the officer’s account is incorrect and the officer did
not identify himself before the shot was fired. In police reports, Mr. Ragsdale
allegedly said he heard someone coming up the stairs, saw a dark figure and
discharged the firearm. He reported that he then heard someone yell police.
The incident began when police went to the Ragsdale home in the morning hours of
July 14, 2006, to investigate an alarm that had gone off.
A neighbor let two officers — Officer Rice and Officer R. Ryan Chartrand — into
Mr. Ragsdale’s home after they had searched outside. The neighbor had a key and
told police he believed Mr. Ragsdale was on vacation, although his car was at
the house.
In an interview with investigators, the neighbor said he saw a silhouette in a
window and believed it was Mr. Ragsdale. The neighbor was also let into the
home. The officers did not announce themselves when they entered the home.
Police reports said Officer Rice had told Officer Chartrand about a man living
near Farmington Drive who had a long history of violent crimes and alcohol
abuse. There also had been a house break-in July 8, 2006, at another Farmington
Drive residence, Lt. Sklut wrote in his report.
Although the neighbor said he believed the figure in the house looked like Mr.
Ragsdale, Officer Rice said the figure’s build looked similar to the man with
the long criminal history.
“I think that the police reports are not completely accurate, nor do they
address the issues surrounding the neighbor’s comments to police,” Mr. Ettenberg
said. “It’s my opinion the police procedures on that night were seriously
flawed.”
Mr. Ragsdale admitted to having drunk some alcoholic beverages the evening
leading up to the incident, but was not intoxicated at the time of the shooting,
according to his civil suit in Westboro District Court.
According to police reports, he had drinks at a Connecticut casino and two bars
— one in Worcester and the other in Clinton — the night before and the morning
of the shooting, the reports said.
Officers at the scene reported that they believed Mr. Ragsdale was “moderately
under the influence of an intoxicating liquor.”
To address the issue of Mr. Ragsdale’s night vision, his lawyer presented two
letters from doctors as evidence in the Westboro District Court case.
One doctor, Dr. John Paul Lock, wrote that Mr. Ragsdale suffers from Type 1
diabetes mellitus and is extremely conscientious about his health and care. Dr.
David Eichenbaum said Mr. Ragsdale’s visual status is stable. Mr. Ragsdale had
laser treatment for his vision because of his diabetes and his central vision is
minimally compromised, the doctor said in his Dec. 21, 2006, letter.
After the shooting, investigators interviewed Mr. Ragsdale’s grandfather, Louis
Dipasquale, who was with his grandson at Foxwoods Casino on July 13, 2006. Mr.
Dipasquale said Mr. Ragsdale’s vision was affected by his diabetes and a friend,
Scott Chase, drives Mr. Ragsdale at night. The grandfather told investigators
that Mr. Ragsdale’s vision “has gotten worse over the past year and he has a
terrible time seeing at night,” according to police reports.
According to police reports, Mr. Chase said he had been driving Mr. Ragsdale,
president and chief executive officer of the Ragsdale Motor Group network of
auto dealerships in Shrewsbury and Spencer, for four years.
In November 2006, a Worcester County grand jury declined to indict Mr. Ragsdale
for the shooting. The evidence was submitted to a grand jury by then-Worcester
District Attorney John J. Conte.
Chief Hester asked Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., when he took
office, to take a second look at the case in February. Mr. Early said the case
will not be submitted for another grand jury review.
Mr. Ragsdale had a Class A large-capacity license to carry firearms, issued by
Millbury police on Oct. 29, 2002. He received the license when he lived in
Millbury.
Millbury police suspended that license after the shooting. The license expired
on Aug. 4, 2006, and he had to file an application with Shrewsbury’s police
chief to receive a new one.
In the civil suit, filed Nov. 7 in Worcester Superior Court, Mr. Ragsdale said
that on or about May 1, Chief Hester denied the application for a license to
carry firearms.
November 22, 2007
Ragsdale’s only weapon should be spit
Dianne Williamson,T&G STAFF dwilliamson@telegram.com
On this day of
Thanksgiving, Mark Ragsdale should be thanking his lucky stars — or at least a
Worcester County grand jury — that he’s not in prison.
Instead, this cowboy-loving car salesman has the gall to file a civil suit
because a police chief and district court judge have decided, quite wisely, that
Mr. Ragsdale has no business carrying a firearm.
Call them picky, but police tend to frown upon half-blind, intoxicated citizens
who open fire on uniformed patrolmen.
That’s what Mr. Ragsdale did in the early morning hours of July 14, 2006, when a
police officer responded to a burglar alarm at the car dealer’s Shrewsbury home
and was rewarded with a bullet in the gut.
Hey, Wyatt Earp would have done the same thing. The neighbor who let police in
to Mr. Ragsdale’s home that morning would later indicate that Mr. Ragsdale has a
cowboy fixation and is fascinated by antique guns, six-shooters and Wyatt Earp,
harmless diversions had they been relegated to the hobby realm and his
cowboy-themed car commercials rather than to real life.
According to police reports, Mr. Ragsdale shot Shrewsbury Police Officer Stephen
Rice in the stomach with a semiautomatic handgun after he and another officer
had gone to Mr. Ragsdale’s house to investigate a burglar alarm that had gone
off. Officer Rice underwent surgery and was out of work until September of this
year, and he’s likely contemplating an enormous civil suit that should yield
him, at minimum, a Chevrolet dealership.
Here’s a caveat, though. Some could argue that the cops should have announced
their presence at some point, which they did not. The neighbor who let police in
the house said he believed Mr. Ragsdale was on vacation, but also said that a
figure in the window resembled him.
That’s a training issue, and it doesn’t excuse Mr. Ragsdale from shooting at
what he basically said later was a shadow.
“Mark Ragsdale stated that he could hear someone coming up the stairs toward his
bedroom,” a police report states. “He stated that the hallway was in complete
darkness and he saw a dark figure and discharged his firearm. He then heard
someone yell, ‘Police.’ Mark Ragsdale stated that he never said anything or
challenged the figure, he just fired.”
Mr. Ragsdale is lucky to be alive. And he’s also lucky that the former district
attorney failed to gain an indictment in November 2006 when the case was
presented to a grand jury, when everyone knows that a DA can easily get an
indictment if he wants one.
“Police uncovered a tremendous amount of evidence that I do not believe was
submitted to the grand jury,” said former Shrewsbury Chief Wayne Sampson. “I was
extremely disappointed there was no indictment, based on the evidence we
submitted to the district attorney.”
Police reports said that Mr. Ragsdale has severe diabetes that affects his
vision and has a “terrible time” seeing at night, according to his grandfather.
Reports also indicate that he had had six to nine alcoholic drinks at Foxwoods
and two bars in the hours leading up to the shooting, and police smelled alcohol
on his breath and noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy.
Reports also say that Mr. Ragsdale was distraught and overcome with remorse
after shooting the cop, but his civil suit indicates that he’s fully recovered.
In May, the Shrewsbury chief denied his request for a new license to carry, and
a judge upheld the ruling. After all, he had already shot a cop, his vision is
so poor that he needs a driver at night, and he’s prone to wearing funny cowboy
hats.
In what world other than the Wild West do those criteria qualify someone to pack
heat?
His neighbor isn’t the only one to note his seeming obsession with guns. In a
business-related civil suit he filed in 2003 against three former employees, one
of them said he had “violent mood swings and tantrums” and offered this curious
observation:
“The combination of mood swings and firearms made it understandably difficult
for any employee to confront Mr. Ragsdale with any issue and this was the
primary reason why I was reluctant to inform Mr. Ragsdale that I was leaving
until shortly before I did.” She also noted that Mr. Ragsdale chews tobacco and
“on occasion would make me fetch and carry his spit cup from the car.” Yech.
Peter Ettenberg, Mr. Ragsdale’s lawyer, claims that police “distorted and in
some cases exaggerated” the incident.
“Mark Ragsdale did nothing criminal,” Mr. Ettenberg said. “He had every right to
do what he did. The police might want to conduct a review of their procedures
when they enter a home.”
I think police might want to make sure that Mark Ragsdale is no longer fully
loaded. Whether he committed a crime is open for debate, but this cowboy needs a
new hobby.
Man sues for gun permit after shooting
By Scott J.
Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
scroteau@telegram.com
SHREWSBURY—
Mark P. Ragsdale, who shot and wounded a Shrewsbury police
officer last year, has filed a civil suit seeking a new license to carry a
firearm.
His suit asks to overturn a ruling by Westboro District Court Judge Paul
Waickowski that upheld a decision by Shrewsbury Police Chief James J. Hester Jr.
denying the license request.
In May, Chief Hester denied the request from Mr. Ragsdale, 41, of 17A Farmington
Drive, based on the car dealer’s shooting of rookie police officer Stephen P.
Rice in the early morning hours of July 14, 2006. In an interview, Chief Hester
said he also denied the application because of the underlying factors in the
incident.
Mr. Ragsdale
had been drinking the night before and the morning of the shooting and has night
blindness, according to police reports obtained by the Telegram & Gazette. He
had drinks at a Connecticut casino and two bars — one in Worcester and the other
in Clinton — the night before and the morning of the shooting, the reports said.
“It basically all comes back to the negligent discharge of his firearm on that
night,” Chief Hester said of the denial of the firearm license.
Peter L. Ettenberg, Mr. Ragsdale’s lawyer, had no comment when asked about the
civil suit. Mr. Ragsdale declined to comment yesterday and referred all
questions to his lawyer.
According to Shrewsbury police reports, Officers Rice and R. Ryan Chartrand were
let into the home by a neighbor around 2:30 a.m. to investigate a burglar alarm.
The officers were not aware Mr. Ragsdale was home when they entered. Mr.
Ragsdale had told the alarm company he set off the alarm. The officers did not
announce themselves when they entered the home.
A report by Detective Lt. Daniel G. Sklut said Mr. Ragsdale armed himself with a
.380-caliber handgun when the alarm went off. “Mark Ragsdale stated that he
could hear someone coming up the stairs toward his bedroom,” Lt. Sklut’s report
said. “He stated that the hallway was in complete darkness and he saw a dark
figure and discharged his firearm. He then heard someone yell “police.” Mark
Ragsdale stated that he never said anything or challenged the figure, he just
fired. When he heard someone yell “police” he immediately dropped the gun and
went into a prone position.
Officer Rice yelled, “I’m hit. Did it hit my vest?” according to Officer
Chartrand’s report. The bullet hit Officer Rice in his abdomen and to the right
of his navel. He was operated on at UMass Memorial Medical Center — University
Campus in Worcester. Officer Rice remained out of work until Sept. 11 of this
year, when he returned and is now back on patrol. Police estimated the shot came
from only a few feet away. Officer Rice reported Mr. Ragsdale was 2 to 4 feet
away.
Officer Rice declined to speak about the incident.
In November 2006, a Worcester County grand jury declined to indict Mr. Ragsdale
for the shooting. The evidence was submitted to a grand jury by then-Worcester
District Attorney John J. Conte. Chief Hester asked Worcester District Attorney
Joseph D. Early Jr. — who took office after the shooting occurred — to take a
second look at the case in February.
Mr. Early said the case will not be submitted for another grand jury review.
“The case was presented to the grand jury by the previous district attorney and
no indictment was returned,” Mr. Early said. “After I took office, Shrewsbury
Police Chief Hester asked us to review the case. We did, but in the absence of
any new evidence or information we chose not to resubmit it to the grand jury.
We looked at the grand jury minutes and determined that the case was presented
in a complete and thorough manner.”
A. Wayne Sampson, the Shrewsbury police chief at the time of the shooting,
believes there was enough evidence to bring charges against Mr. Ragsdale.
“Based on the information we had at the time there was compelling evidence to
bring criminal charges forward,” he said Monday.
According to police reports, Mr. Ragsdale had a Class A large-capacity license
to carry firearms that was issued by Millbury police on Oct. 29, 2002. Mr.
Ragsdale received the license when he lived in Millbury.
Millbury police suspended the license after the shooting. The license then
expired on Aug. 4, 2006. To receive a new license Mr. Ragsdale had to file an
application with Shrewsbury’s police chief.
In the civil suit, filed Nov. 7 in Worcester Superior Court, Mr. Ragsdale said
that on or about May 1, Chief Hester — who is the named defendant in the case —
denied the application for a license to carry firearms.
Mr. Ragsdale appealed the chief’s decision to Judge Waickowski in Westboro
District Court in August, and in September he was notified by the court the
petition for review was denied. Mr. Ragsdale is now asking a judge to set aside
the district court decision and allow him to have a license to carry firearms.
Chief Hester said the town will fight the civil suit. A police chief in any town
or city can decide if someone is suitable to have a license to carry firearms.
A known collector of antique guns, Mr. Ragsdale does not need a license to carry
firearms for his antique guns made before 1899, according to state laws.
After the shooting, Mr. Ragsdale allegedly asked for chewing tobacco — police
retrieved it from Mr. Ragsdale’s home — and he was seen injecting himself with
insulin, police reports said.
With Officer Timothy M. Finacom watching him, Mr. Ragsdale allegedly said, “I
can’t believe I shot him. He’s a good man. I can’t believe I shot him.” He also
is reported as saying, “All I did was shoot at the dark figure. I didn’t know
who it was.”
Officers at the scene reported they believed Mr. Ragsdale was “moderately under
the influence of an intoxicating liquor,” according to reports.
Detective Paul Brown interviewed Mr. Ragsdale’s grandfather, Louis Dipasquale,
who was with his grandson at Foxwoods Casino on July 13, 2006, according to the
detective’s report.
“Mr. Dipasquale indicated Mark has severe diabetes and has to see special
doctors in Boston, watch what he eats and that it has affected his vision,”
Detective Brown wrote. “Mr. Dipasquale explained that is the reason his friend
Scott Chase drives him around. Mark’s vision has gotten worse over the past year
and he has a terrible time seeing at night.”
According to police reports, Mr. Chase said he had been driving Mr. Ragsdale,
president and chief executive officer of the Ragsdale Motor Group network of
auto dealerships in Shrewsbury and Spencer, for four years.
Former employees of Mr. Ragsdale described him as a moody man who frequently
carried large handguns at work, according to affidavits on file in Middlesex
Superior Court. The affidavits were part of a 2003 civil suit Mr. Ragsdale filed
against three former employees accusing them of ruining his ability to buy a
Subaru dealership, which became Westboro Mitsubishi. The case was settled.
“In the last year, he has taken to carrying large handguns on both social
occasions and in the office,” former Ragsdale employee Steven E. Sewell said in
his affidavit.
According to Mr. Ragsdale’s former executive assistant Laura Robertson, Mr.
Ragsdale was known for violent mood swings, she said in her affidavit in the
case.
“More troublesome in the context of these violent mood swings and tantrums is
Mr. Ragsdale’s fascination with firearms and large-frame, large-caliber,
‘cowboy’-type revolvers,” she said.
By Kevin Keenan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
SHREWSBURY—
Car dealer Mark P. Ragsdale will not face another grand
jury probe for the accidental shooting of a Shrewsbury police officer last July,
according to Timothy J. Connolly, spokesman for Worcester District Attorney
Joseph D. Early Jr.
In November, a grand jury heard evidence on the case, but did not indict Mr.
Ragsdale. Police Chief James J. Hester Jr. asked Mr. Early to take a second look
at the case in February. In a brief written statement released yesterday, Mr.
Early said the case will not be submitted to another grand jury for review.
“The evidence in this case was presented to the grand jury in a thorough and
complete manner. I’m not going to question the decision of the grand jury,” Mr.
Early said in a statement.
Mr. Ragsdale shot Officer Stephen Rice in the abdomen at 2:30 a.m. July 14,
after he and Officer Ryan Chartrand entered Mr. Ragsdale’s house at 17A
Farmington Drive to investigate a burglar alarm that had gone off.
Officer Rice is still on leave for the injury and is not back on the job, though
he is expected to return to work.
Chief Hester said yesterday he is satisfied that the case was reviewed and
handled properly by the district attorney’s office.
Ray McGrath, political director for the International Brotherhood of Police
Officers and a former Worcester police officer, said he was disappointed no
charges would be brought after another look at the case.
“The men and women of law enforcement are putting their lives forward,” Mr.
McGrath said. “It’s somewhat disheartening. That someone could shoot a police
officer without any repercussions is disheartening, not just to me but to
everyone in law enforcement.”
On the night of the shooting, a neighbor had let the two officers into Mr.
Ragsdale’s home after they had searched outside. The neighbor, who had a key and
was on the alarm company’s list of people to notify regarding the Ragsdale home,
told police that Mr. Ragsdale was on vacation and the home should have been
empty. Police were unaware that Mr. Ragsdale had come home. Police said the
officers entered the home to search it and Officer Rice was shot as he reached
the second floor.
Mr. Ragsdale is president and chief executive officer of the Ragsdale Motor
Group network of auto dealerships in Shrewsbury and Spencer. When he lived in
Millbury, the police there gave him his permit to carry the Smith & Wesson
semiautomatic handgun used in the shooting. Permits are good for five years.
Kevin Keenan can be reached at
kkeenan@telegram.com.
February 16, 2007
Worcester
DA to review shooting of police officer
SHREWSBURY— At the request of Police Chief James J. Hester
Jr., the Worcester district attorney’s office is taking a second look at the
case of Mark P. Ragsdale, the auto dealer who shot a policeman by mistake at his
home last July.
In November, a grand jury chose not to indict Mr. Ragsdale, but the case can be
submitted to another grand jury.
Mr. Ragsdale shot Officer Stephen Rice in the abdomen at 2:30 a.m. July 14 after
he and Officer Ryan Chartland had come to Mr. Ragsdale’s house at 17A Farmington
Drive to investigate a burglar alarm that had gone off. Officer Rice is still
not back on the job, Chief Hester said.
District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. is reviewing the case at the request of
Chief Hester, said Timothy J. Connolly, the spokesman for Mr. Early. The case is
not now before a grand jury.
“He has said he will take a look at this case, review it, and come to his own
decision. He has no preconceived idea that he will find something different from
the previous D.A.,” Mr. Connolly said. “He has been reviewing several cases,
giving them a look, many of which he only previously knew about through the
media.”
Chief Hester said Shrewsbury police will not publicly disclose reports because
it is an ongoing investigation.
February 14, 2007
Case under review
By Joyce Kelly/Staff Writer (METROWEST DAILY NEWS) Boston Herald (MA)
SHREWSBURY – Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. is reviewing the case against car dealer Mark Ragsdale, who allegedly shot a cop investigating a false burglar alarm last July, and could bring it before a grand jury, Early spokesman Timothy Connolly said Thursday.
“The DA is reviewing the case. Prior to taking office, he knew only what he’d read in the newspapers about the case,” Connelly said.
“That’s not to say he’ll disagree with the previous DA (John Conte), but now that he’s in office, he’s going to review this case and come to his own decision,” he said.
Last November, a grand jury failed to hand down an indictment in the case against Ragsdale brought forward by Conte.
Officer Stephen Rice, 25, was shot in the abdomen by homeowner Ragsdale, 39, of 17A Farmington Drive, when the officer responded to an alarm at about 2:30 a.m. on July 14, then Police Chief A. Wayne Sampson said following the shooting.
Coming home alone from a family vacation, Ragsdale reportedly set off his house alarm and informed the alarm company all was secure - but neither Ragsdale nor the company relayed that to police, Sampson said.
Rice, on the force for one year, and Officer R. Ryan Chartrand, working his first day on the job, searched outside the home. A neighbor told them the Ragsdales were on vacation and the house should be vacant.
The neighbor opened the door for police with a key that Ragsdale had provided him for such situations, Sampson said.
While the neighbor remained outside, Rice and Chartrand saw a moving shadow and took tactical positions to search for burglars. Sampson said.
When they stepped up to the second floor, Ragsdale, possibly mistaking the officer for a burglar, shot Rice beneath his bulletproof vest, the chief said.
Ragsdale used a Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun, which he was licensed to carry, Sampson said.
Early officially made the decision to review the case last week after meeting with Shrewsbury detectives, according to Shrewsbury Police James J. Hester, who was appointed to the chief’s position last month.
He declined to comment further, except to say police will “just sit back and see what happens.”
The DA’s office could not give a timetable for when Early will decide whether to pursue the case further.
In addition to the Ragsdale case, Early is reviewing several high profile cases, such as the Molly Bish murder and another involving convicted rapist Benjamin LaGuer, who recently gained notoriety after the Boston Herald reported Gov. Deval Patrick supported LaGuer’s bid for parole.
From a legal standpoint, the Ragsdale case is complex, Sampson said in an earlier interview.
Immediately following the shooting, Shrewsbury detectives and state police assigned to Conte’s office scrutinized the incident, investigating “every possible aspect” they could find in “a very precise and methodical” manner so as not to jeopardize the integrity of the case, Sampson said earlier.
“This is a tough, tough case, emotionally, for everyone involved,” he said.
The situation lowered morale, put a massive strain on the entire department, and particularly the officers who worked the night of the shooting, he said.
Attacks from the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Union, whose spokesmen repeatedly condemned Sampson for not ordering Ragsdale arrested immediately following the shooting, also created intense pressure within the department.
“We are criticized for not making an arrest, but the two superior officers on the scene, the two state police homicide detectives on the scene, and the two senior assistant district attorneys we conferred with all advised the Shrewsbury Police Department not to make an arrest, but to continue our investigation,” Sampson said.
Sampson was “extremely disappointed” the grand jury failed to hand down an indictment in the case, but said the its decision “certainly confirms that we took the correct action at the time.”
Ragsdale is a well-known businessman in the area, and is the president and CEO of Ragsdale Motor Group and owner of several car dealerships. He has also appeared in his own television commercials dressed in a cowboy hat, boots, and toting guns, and can frequently be heard on the radio advertising his business with his wife, Laurie.
Chartrand, who investigated the false alarm with Rice, is on active police duty and was officially sworn onto the police force Jan. 22.
Rice continues to recover, is undergoing physical therapy, and is doing “very well,” Sampson said.
November 15, 2006
No charges in officer's shooting -
Grand jury won't indict car dealer who fired weapon in home
Kevin
Keenan ,Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
WORCESTER - Car dealer Mark P. Ragsdale will not be charged with shooting a
Shrewsbury police officer in Mr. Ragsdale's home in July, according to a
spokeswoman for District Attorney John J. Conte.
A Worcester County grand jury returned a "no bill" Monday, meaning Mr. Ragsdale
was not indicted, after jurors heard evidence gathered for the case. Mr.
Ragsdale could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The shooting occurred at 2:30 a.m. July 14 in Mr. Ragsdale's home, 17A
Farmington Drive, Shrewsbury. When Officers Stephen Rice and Ryan Chartrand went
there to investigate a burglar alarm, Mr. Ragsdale shot Officer Rice in the
abdomen, according to police.
A neighbor had let the two officers into Mr. Ragsdale's home after they searched
outside. The neighbor, who had a key and was on the alarm company's list of
people to notify regarding the home, told police that Mr. Ragsdale was on
vacation and that the home should have been empty.
Police were unaware that Mr. Ragsdale had come home. According to the police,
Mr. Ragsdale told the alarm company that he set off the alarm, but the alarm
company did not notify police.
Police said the officers, who were in full uniform and arrived in a marked
cruiser, noticed a dim light on the second floor and saw a shadowy figure. They
entered the home to search it and Officer Rice was shot as he reached the second
floor. Police said Mr. Ragsdale's wife and children were on vacation at the
time.
Officer Rice, a one-year member of the force, was seriously injured and
hospitalized for a week.
Mr. Ragsdale, president and chief executive officer of the Ragsdale Motor Group
network of auto dealerships in Shrewsbury and Spencer, was licensed to carry the
Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun used in the shooting.
The investigation was handled by Shrewsbury police, the district attorney's
office and state police. Shrewsbury Police Chief A. Wayne Sampson could not be
reached for comment yesterday. At the time of the shooting, Chief Sampson said
the shooting would be thoroughly investigated, including an internal review of
police tactics in response to the shooting, to ensure future safety of police
officers.
Ray McGrath, political director for the International Brotherhood of Police
Officers, which represents Shrewsbury patrolmen, said members of the department
were shocked when they heard that Mr. Ragsdale was not indicted. He said he
thought the investigation was mishandled by Chief Sampson and that Mr. Ragsdale
should have been arrested and charged the night of the shooting. He said Officer
Rice "was an inch away from death" and said it was "really unbelievable" that
Mr. Ragsdale was not charged with anything.
"This is a real serious blow to the Shrewsbury Police Department and to law
enforcement itself. The police community as a whole will be very surprised," Mr.
McGrath said. "Accidental or not a person receiving no punishment for that is
beyond comprehension."
Mr. McGrath said Mr. Ragsdale's position as "a person of influence" in Worcester
County could have had an effect on the grand jury.
"A person with influence in the community got away with a crime that a regular
citizen wouldn't get away with," Mr. McGrath said.
July 22, 2006
Permit suspended in Ragsdale case -
Shooting of officer investigated
Kevin
Keenan, Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
SHREWSBURY - The Millbury Police Department has suspended the firearms license
of local auto dealer Mark P. Ragsdale while police investigate his shooting of a
Shrewsbury police officer at his home last week, police said.
The shooting occurred at 2:30 a.m. July 14 in Mr. Ragsdale's home, 17A
Farmington Drive. When Officers Stephen Rice and Ryan Chartrand went there to
investigate a burglar alarm that had gone off, Mr. Ragsdale shot Officer Rice in
the abdomen.
Officer Rice, a one-year member of the force who was seriously injured in the
shooting, was released yesterday from UMass Memorial Medical Center - University
Campus in Worcester and paid a brief visit to the Shrewsbury Police Department,
Police Chief A. Wayne Sampson said.
"It was very gratifying for all the department employees to see him out and
walking," Chief Sampson said. "He said `hi' to everyone, and said he feels great
to be out in the fresh air and sun."
Mr. Ragsdale's Class A license to carry firearms was suspended Monday, according
to Millbury Police Chief Richard L. Handfield. The license permits a gun owner
to carry a concealed, high-capacity handgun. Chief Handfield said he spoke to
Chief Sampson and decided to suspend Mr. Ragsdale's license indefinitely while
police investigate.
"It was in the best interest of everybody," Chief Handfield said.
Mr. Ragsdale is a former Millbury resident. He was issued a firearms license by
Millbury police at least three years ago, according to police. Firearms licenses
are issued and administered by the cities and towns of holders until the
licenses expire.
Mr. Ragsdale filed a change of address form with Millbury, and the address of
his license was properly changed, Chief Handfield said. Millbury still retains
authority over his license, however, until its expiration date. Massachusetts
gun owners need to renew their licenses every six years; the law was recently
changed from four years.
As a current Shrewsbury resident, Mr. Ragsdale will have to apply for a license
renewal with the Shrewsbury Police Department, Chief Handfield said. Mr.
Ragsdale can appeal the license suspension to Millbury police, but has not yet
done so, Chief Handfield said. Mr. Ragsdale and his wife bought their Shrewsbury
home in December 2002, according to records at the Worcester Registry of Deeds.
Mr. Ragsdale has not been charged in the shooting. Shrewsbury police are
investigating with an assist from the state police detectives assigned to
Worcester District Attorney John J. Conte's office.
"We're continuing to investigate wherever the evidence takes us," Chief Sampson
said. "At this point, we are taking a very cautious and methodical approach. It
will probably be several weeks before we make any conclusions."
Firearms licenses are issued by local police departments, though the local
departments submit applications to the state Criminal History Systems Board for
review.
The two officers were let into Mr. Ragsdale's home July 14 by a neighbor after
they searched outside the residence. The neighbor, who had a key and was on the
alarm company's list of people to notify regarding the residence, told police
Mr. Ragsdale was on vacation and that the home should be empty, according to
police.
Police were unaware, however, that Mr. Ragsdale had reportedly come home and set
off the alarm. The officers, who were in full uniform and arrived in a marked
cruiser, noticed a dim light on the second floor and saw a shadowy figure,
according to police. They entered the home to search the interior and Officer
Rice was shot by Mr. Ragsdale, who was alone in the home, as he reached the
second floor. Chief Sampson said Mr. Ragsdale's wife and children were on
vacation at the time.
The officers did not announce who they were and that they were entering the
home. Such an announcement could be useful in certain circumstances, but could
also give away an officer's tactical advantage, depending on the situation,
Chief Sampson said.
Mr. Ragsdale, president and chief executive officer of the Ragsdale Motor Group
network of auto dealerships in Shrewsbury and Spencer, was licensed to carry the
Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun. Mr. Ragsdale did not return a message left
with an employee of his business.
Chief Sampson said Officer Rice is expected to recover from his injury but will
be out of work for an unknown amount of time.
July 16, 2006
Wounded officer recovering -
Policeman shot in Shrewsbury
Steven H. Foskett Jr.,Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
SHREWSBURY - A police officer who was shot in the abdomen by a homeowner early
Friday while responding to a burglar alarm is recovering at UMass Memorial
Medical Center - University Campus in Worcester, the police chief said
yesterday.
According to police, Officer Stephen Rice, 25, a year-long veteran of the force,
responded to a burglar alarm at 17A Farmington Drive around 2:30 a.m. Friday
with another officer, Ryan Chartrand, and was shot by the homeowner, Mark P.
Ragsdale, 39, after entering the house and reaching the second floor.
Police said Officer Rice is expected to recover.
"I spoke with the family this morning," Shrewsbury Police Chief A. Wayne Sampson
said yesterday afternoon. "He's doing OK. He's alert and talking; he's doing as
good as can be expected, and his family is right there with him."
Chief Sampson said the entire department was a bit shaken by the incident, but
said it has received an outpouring of support from the community. He said
members of the Lonchiadis family even stopped by the station yesterday morning
to offer support. In 1975, Patrolman James Lonchiadis was shot and killed by a
16-year-old who was attempting to steal a car.
The investigation into what actually happened Friday morning is ongoing, and
Chief Sampson gave few additional details yesterday afternoon. He said police
have spoken to Mr. Ragsdale's lawyer, but have not spoken with Mr. Ragsdale
since Friday.
Mr. Ragsdale, president and chief executive officer of the Ragsdale Motor Group
network of auto dealerships in Shrewsbury and Spencer, was licensed to carry the
Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun. He has not been charged or arrested, and
Chief Sampson said yesterday that the investigation, with the assistance of the
district attorney's office and the state police, is expected to take some time.
He would not confirm whether Mr. Ragsdale simply mistook Officer Rice for a
burglar.
"We're looking at every single aspect of what occurred," Chief Sampson said.
"It's not just an investigation into what happened; it's a complete review
internally. It's all about officer safety and public safety."
Mr. Ragsdale does not have a listed phone number, and could not be reached for
comment yesterday.
Police said the two officers were let into Mr. Ragsdale's home early Friday
morning by a neighbor after searching outside the residence. The neighbor, who
had a key and was on the alarm company list of people to notify regarding the
residence, told police Mr. Ragsdale was on vacation and that the home should be
empty, Chief Sampson said.
Police were unaware, however, that Mr. Ragsdale had reportedly come home and set
off the alarm. According to the chief, Mr. Ragsdale told the alarm company that
he set off the alarm, but the alarm company did not notify police.
Police said the officers, who were in full uniform and arrived in a marked
cruiser, noticed a dim light on the second floor and saw a shadowy figure. They
entered the home to search the interior and Officer Rice was shot by Mr.
Ragsdale, who was alone in the home, as he reached the second floor. Chief
Sampson said Mr. Ragsdale's wife and children were on vacation at the time.
July 15, 2006
OFFICER SHOT INVESTIGATING FALSE ALARM
Megan Woolhouse, Boston Globe Staff
SHREWSBURY A Shrewsbury police officer answering a burglar alarm call with his
partner early yesterday was mistakenly shot by the homeowner, the president and
chief executive of Ragsdale Motor Group, authorities said.
The wounds were not life-threatening, but the episode shook the small town's
police department, which has not had an officer injured by gunfire in 31 years.
"We respond to thousands of calls like this every year," Police Chief Wayne
Sampson said yesterday. "We don't want anything like this to happen to anybody."
Mark Ragsdale was distraught when he realized his mistake, Sampson said. The
chief said that Ragsdale gave officers a statement and was not taken into
custody or charged, although the investigation continues. Police said he is
licensed to carry the firearm. Ragsdale is the son of George M. Ragsdale, the
founder of Ragsdale Motor Group, and owns several dealerships in central
Massachusetts.
Assistant Town Manager Michael Hale and police held a press conference yesterday
afternoon to detail what happened:
Police received a call at 2:31 a.m. from an alarm company alerting them to a
problem at 17A Farmington Drive in one of the town's newer subdivisions. What
police did not know was that Mark Ragsdale had returned home unexpectedly from a
vacation and accidentally set off his house alarm. He was alone at the time.
Officers Stephen Rice and his partner, Ryan Chartrand, went to the home and were
met by one of Ragsdale's neighbors, who told them he was on vacation. The
neighbor unlocked the door to let police investigate. Sampson said the officers
did not announce themselves, thinking a burglary may have been occurring.
As Rice reached the second floor, he was shot once in the abdomen just inches
below his bulletproof vest. Police said Ragsdale fired a Smith & Wesson
semiautomatic handgun and the bullet struck Rice at close range, knocking him
down.
Sampson said it remains unclear why the officers weren't informed that the alarm
was false. State Police assigned to the Worcester district attorney's office are
assisting in the investigation, he said.
Rice, 25, a lifelong resident of the town, will have been on the force one year
next week.
July 15, 2006
Mistaken for thief, officer is shot
NORMAN MILLER and JOYCE KELLY (METROWEST DAILY NEWS) Boston Herald (MA)
A Shrewsbury police officer is in stable condition after being shot in the gut early yesterday by a homeowner who fired away in the dark while officers responded to a burglar alarm.
Police are investigating the 2:31 a.m. shooting of Officer Stephen Rice, 25, by
Mark Ragsdale, 39, of 17A Farmington Drive, Shrewsbury, Chief A. Wayne Sampson
said at a press conference at Town Hall yesterday.
Rice, who has been an officer for less than a year, was in stable condition at
University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center and expected to recover,
Sampson said.
"The investigation is ongoing and we're looking into everything," Sampson said.
Police were called by Ragsdale's alarm company to report a burglar alarm at the
home, Shrewsbury's assistant Town Manager Michael Hale said.
Rice and fellow Officer Ryan Chartrand, searched the exterior of the house. At
one point a neighbor spoke to them and said Ragsdale and his family were on
vacation and no one was supposed to be in the house. The neighbor opened the
door for police, Sampson said.
"The only visible light in the house was a dim light on the second floor and the
officers believed they saw a shadow on the second floor," Sampson said.
The officers took "tactical" positions to search the house for possible break-in
suspects. As Rice reached the second floor, Ragsdale shot him in the abdomen
right below the bottom of the officer's bullet proof vest, Sampson said.
"He (Ragsdale) was very upset," said Sampson. "He realized it was a police
officer."
Ragsdale is licensed to carry a gun, Sampson said. Ragsdale made a statement at
the scene but then invoked his right to remain silent and was not brought to the
station. He has not been charged.
Police are looking into several things, Sampson said. Chief among them is why
the alarm company did not contact the police department after they confirmed
Ragsdale was the one who set the alarm off. The name of the alarm company was
unavailable.
"That was not relayed to the police," Sampson said.
Hale confirmed Ragsdale is connected to the Ragsdale Superstore, an auto
dealership on Route 9, but was not sure in what capacity. A Mark Ragsdale is
listed as the business' owner.
After Rice woke up from surgery, he showed no concern for himself, Samson said.
"He was concerned about the other officers," said Sampson, who became choked up.
"We don't want this to happen to anyone."
July 15, 2006
Officer is shot answering alarm -
Shrewsbury car dealer fired gun
Patricia J. James, Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
SHREWSBURY - A police officer was shot in the abdomen by a homeowner early
yesterday while responding to a burglar alarm.
According to police, Officer Stephen Rice, 25, whose one-year anniversary of
joining the Shrewsbury Police Department is next week, is in stable condition at
UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus in Worcester, after surgery
for the gunshot wound.
Officer Rice responded to a burglar alarm about 2:30 a.m. yesterday with another
officer, Ryan Chartrand, and was shot by the homeowner, Mark P. Ragsdale, 39,
after entering the house and reaching the second floor.
Officer Chartrand recently joined the department, coming from the Wrentham
Police Department, and was working his first shift in town. Mr. Ragsdale is
president and chief executive officer of Ragsdale Motor Group, and his family
owns auto dealerships in Shrewsbury and Spencer.
The two officers had been let into the home at 17A Farmington Drive by a
neighbor after searching outside the residence, Police Chief A. Wayne Sampson
said at a press conference yesterday. The neighbor, who had a key and was on the
alarm company list of people to notify regarding the residence, told police Mr.
Ragsdale was on vacation and that the home should be empty, Chief Sampson said.
Police were unaware, however, that Mr. Ragsdale had reportedly come home and set
off the alarm. According to the chief, Mr. Ragsdale told the alarm company that
he set off the alarm, but the alarm company did not notify police.
Chief Sampson said the officers, who were in full uniform and arrived in a
marked cruiser, noticed a dim light on the second floor and saw a shadowy
figure. They entered the home to search the interior and Officer Rice was shot
by Mr. Ragsdale, who was alone in the home, as he reached the second floor.
According to the chief, Officer Rice was shot with a Smith & Wesson
semiautomatic handgun. Mr. Ragsdale is properly licensed to carry firearms in
the state, according to police. Chief Sampson said Mr. Ragsdale's wife and
children were on vacation at the time.
The chief said Mr. Ragsdale was not taken into custody and has not been charged
with any crime, but made a statement at the scene.
"He was very upset about the circumstances," the chief said.
Mr. Ragsdale had been at several locations during the day before arriving home,
but Chief Sampson said he could not disclose where Mr. Ragsdale went because the
investigation by Shrewsbury police and state police assigned to District
Attorney John J. Conte's office is still ongoing. According to the chief, Mr.
Ragsdale told the alarm company that he set off the alarm, but the alarm company
did not notify police.
The chief said he had spoken with Officer Rice, a single, lifelong resident of
town who lives with his parents, and that he is doing well. Chief Sampson paused
with emotion while saying, "He was just concerned about the other officers."
Chief Sampson later said he was at the hospital yesterday morning with Officer
Rice's family during his surgery.
"It was very, very difficult on his parents," he said.
"He is with his family and his fellow officers," Assistant Town Manager Michael
R. Hale said at the press conference.
The chief said the department has contacted its employee assistance program and
that the other officers took the news hard.
"The whole department's responding," he said after the press conference. "We
called all of our employees and tried to let them know before it became public."
The shift was Officer Chartrand's first in Shrewsbury, he said.
"It was his first day on the job," he said. "It was a tough night."
Chief Sampson said the department will review protocols used during such
incidents, but that different situations are handled in various ways.
"We don't want it to happen to anybody," he said. "We're here to protect the
community."
In this case, the officers did not announce who they were and that they were
entering the home. Chief Sampson said such an announcement could be useful in
certain circumstances, but could also give away an officer's tactical advantage,
depending on the situation.
"These are decisions police officers make every day," he said. "The officers
used the appropriate discretion."
The last time a Shrewsbury police officer was shot in the line of duty was in
1975, according to Chief Sampson. Patrolman James Lonchiadis was shot and killed
by a 16-year-old who was attempting to steal a car.