In the early hours of Sunday, a suspected gunman was shot and killed by police officers in Massachusetts after he allegedly opened fire on them with a fully automatic firearm, leaving two police officers injured, according to authorities.
The incident took place shortly after midnight in Fall River, as outlined by Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III in an official statement. The fatal encounter involved a 40-year-old local resident, Nigel Vaughn, and occurred minutes following his release from questioning at a nearby gas station, following an investigation into a reckless driving report.
Body-camera footage from February 8, 2026, captured the struggle between officers and the armed suspect, who reportedly injured the two officers before he was fatally shot. This footage was provided by the Fall River Police Department.
The injuries sustained by the two officers are said to be non-life-threatening, Quinn reported. One officer was hit in the elbow by a bullet, and the other officer was struck in the abdomen. Fortunately, the latter was protected by his bulletproof vest. A third officer on the scene was unharmed.
“The suspect has a violent history and the officers were just doing their job on a brutally cold night, trying to protect the community,” Quinn stated. “Through the grace of God, all of the officers’ lives were spared.”
The shooting unfolded around 12:13 a.m. as three officers responded to a 911 call reporting an armed individual in a vehicle outside a residence. Upon arrival, officers found the suspect seated in a dark-colored SUV. Due to the nature of the report, they proceeded with a pat-down search.
During the search, the suspect reportedly resisted violently, leading to a physical altercation with the officers. In the course of the struggle, the suspect produced a firearm. While grappling on the ground, he fired at the officers, striking one in the elbow and the other in the abdomen, the latter of whom was fortunately shielded by a bullet-resistant vest.
In response, the officers returned fire, hitting the suspect. He was then transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The suspect was allegedly carrying a Glock handgun, which was later found at the scene. The gun had been modified with a device known as a “switch,” which converts certain Glock firearms to fully automatic weapons. This modification allows the weapon to discharge multiple rounds with a single trigger pull, according to the police statement.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the motive behind the incident. Prior to the shooting, the suspect had been approached by officers at a gas station on the same street following a call about a possible altercation and reckless driving within the parking lot. During this encounter, the suspect, found in a dark-colored SUV with two others, was briefly questioned before being instructed to vacate the premises.
Fall River Police Chief Kelly Furtado expressed gratitude in her statement, saying, “We are deeply grateful that our officers are able to return home to their families tonight. Each day, they serve with dedication to protect our community. Incidents like this underscore the inherent risks of this profession and remind us how fortunate we are to be served by such courageous men and women.”