BRAINTREE, Mass. — An officer-involved shooting at the Motel 6 in Braintree that left a 25-year-old man dead has been ruled justified.
The Norfolk County District Attorney released his office's finding Thursday on the May 5 shooting. Using video, still photos, and witnesses, the DA investigated the events that led up to Tizaya Robinson's death.
Braintree officers arrived at room 113 of the Motel 6 to serve a restraining order to Robinson. There were no answers to the knocks and announcements of police presence.
Using a keycard the officers had gotten from the front desk, Officer Hurley unlocked the door, but the security latch was engaged. Hurley and Officer Donald Delaney once again their presence and identified themselves, said the DA’s report. Robinson responded, “Who is it?” and officers again identified themselves and asked him to open the door.
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At that point, the DA’s office said Robinson started shooting through the cracked door at the officers. The DA said testimonial and video evidence clearly establishes that Robinson initiated fire, striking Delaney in the face.
Video surveillance shows Delaney recoil and drop to ground, also yelling, “I’m hit…I’m hit.”
As officers were tending to Delaney and getting a new rifle, there were brief moments of no gunfire, confirmed by auditory witnesses, said the DA. Officers then heard renewed gunfire and they returned fire in a short burst.
Evidence shows that Robinson shot himself shortly after the break in gunfire, but it did not cause a fatal injury. The gunshot that killed him entered his head and was not found during the autopsy, but the DA said it is clear it was fired by one of the officers. He also suffered a wound to his left thigh.
Altogether, the DA said Delaney fired 11 rounds, Officer Ryan McHugh fired three rounds from his rifle and two from his handgun and Cushing fired 13 rounds.
The district attorney said that the deadly force was justified in order to protect themselves and others from imminent threat of death from incoming gunfire.
Delaney was taken to the hospital and underwent a life-saving surgery. He was released from the hospital shortly after the shooting.