SHREWSBURY, Mass. — A man accused of intentionally ramming his SUV into the lobby of a Massachusetts police department apologized to officers after leaving behind a massive trail of damage, officials said.
Robert Scott McCluskey, 58, of Shrewsbury, is slated to be arraigned Tuesday in Westboro District Court on charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, destruction of property, and reckless operation of a motor vehicle in connection with a crash on Monday that left his BMW lodged in the dispatch area of the Shrewsbury Police Department.
Police say McCluskey barreled through two sets of doors and a wall, coming to a rest inside the department’s communications center around 2 p.m. Shrewsbury Police Chief Kevin Anderson noted that three civilian communication officers were inside dispatching when the crash occured.
BREAKING: Shrewsbury Police say they believe someone intentionally drove through the lobby of their police station this afternoon. You can see the SUV completely inside the building. Chief tells us it even crashed into dispatch. Driver is in custody & at the hospital pic.twitter.com/FTG4TteJsv
— Litsa Pappas (@LitsaPappas) January 19, 2026
“The vehicle actually went through the front door and actually went into dispatch, so it went through the lobby and went into dispatch, and there were three dispatchers working at the time,” Chief Anderson said. “It’s very concerning, the entire staff that was there is very shaken up, we’re very fortunate that we have a training room that there was training going on and that ended about 30 minutes prior to this incident.”
No staff, police officers, or other citizens were injured in the crash.
As McCluskey was pulled from his vehicle to get medical treatment, he repeatedly stated, “I am sorry, help me, I am so sorry,” Shrewsbury Police Lt. Timothy Finacom wrote in a criminal complaint obtained by Boston 25 News. When Finacom asked McCluskey if his actions were intentional, he allegedly said, “Yes, I am so sorry, I am sorry.”
Finacom noted that he detected an odor of alcohol emanating from McCluskey’s breath as they spoke.
Just after the crash, police received a 911 call indicating McCluskey was on his way to police headquarters to conduct a “suicide by a cop,” the criminal complaint stated.
During a subsequent investigation, multiple witnesses told police that McCluskey made statements earlier in the day that included, “I want suicide by cop,” “Watch the news, it’s going to be spectacular,” and “I am going to end this.”
McCluskey was arrested after the crash and transported to a local hospital.
The Shrewsbury Police Department remains fully operational, despite the extensive damage.
The crash remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
