Jerry Earl Dragosin

Lieutenant Jerry Dragosin was shot and killed in the driveway of the police department. The suspect had gone to the police station in an attempt to recover a handgun that had been confiscated from him earlier in the week. When he arrived at the station, a dispatcher informed Lieutenant Dragosin that the man was there and in possession of another handgun. When Lieutenant Dragosin contacted the man, a struggle ensued. The suspect was able to gain control of Lieutenant Dragosin's service revolver and fatally shot him. As the suspect fled the scene, he encountered an off-duty officer, and the two exchanged shots. Both men were wounded in the exchange. The man continued to flee and led officers on a 50-mile pursuit into West Virginia, where he was finally taken into custody. The 30-year-old suspect was convicted of Lieutenant Dragosin's murder and originally sentenced to death. The death penalty was overturned, and he was sentenced to life. He was denied a commutation of his sentence in 2008. He will be eligible for parole in 2034. Lieutenant Dragosin was a United States Army Vietnam veteran and served with the Cambridge Police Department for 12 years.