CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A judge has determined that two Cambridge police officers were justified in the fatal shooting of a 64-year-old man during an August encounter, bringing the criminal review of the case to a close.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced Friday that Judge Holly Broadbent issued a report following a judicial inquest into the death of Watertown native William Woodworth, who was shot by Cambridge police officers James Nestor and Donald Conrad on Aug. 21, 2026.
The shooting happened near a loading dock in a parking lot behind businesses near Temple Street.
A preliminary hearing was held Aug. 27, and the inquest took place Sept. 9, according to Ryan’s office. The court heard testimony from two witnesses and reviewed 38 exhibits before issuing its findings.
In her report, Judge Broadbent concluded that the officers’ decision to use deadly force was “objectively reasonable” under the circumstances. According to the findings, Officer Conrad was aware that Woodworth had previously possessed a firearm and repeatedly ordered him to drop a gun that he retrieved from beneath the driver’s seat of a vehicle. The report states that Woodworth exited the vehicle, pointed the firearm at another officer, and became involved in a physical struggle.
Judge Broadbent found that a reasonable officer in that situation would have believed officers and nearby civilians faced an imminent threat of serious injury or death. The report concluded that Officers Nestor and Conrad were not criminally responsible for Woodworth’s death and that their actions were justified.
Ryan accepted the court’s findings and filed the required certificate in Superior Court, formally closing the matter.
Ryan’s office said it also forwarded the report to the Cambridge Police Department for any internal review or action the department considers appropriate.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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