Man armed with knife in store killed by Newton officers, identified

NEWTON, Mass. — The family who owns Indulge! candy shop in Newton is still shaken up after a man was killed by police after leaving their store on Lincoln Street Tuesday.

“We knew that this person had mental issues, and it was sad that he lost his life,” said the shop owner’s husband, who didn’t want to be identified. “It was heartbreaking, we’re both very emotional about it.”

The man has since been identified as Michael Conlon, 28 of Newton.

The shop owner’s husband says Conlon who lives above their shop came inside the store with a knife pointed at his wife.

“He said ‘I need you to come upstairs with me,’ and she noticed he was holding a knife,” said the shop owner’s husband.

The owner was able to call 911 while trying to calm this man down.

Meanwhile, the operators were able to hear enough information to get the police there quickly.

“The owner certainly kept a cool head in a difficult situation and was able to protect herself as well as to reach out and provide by keeping the 911 line open – a fair amount of information to the police who would be responding,” said Marian Ryan, the Middlesex District Attorney.

Suspect shot dead by police in Newton

The owner got Conlon to walk outside the store, and she was able to lock him out as police arrived.

Ryan said when Newton police arrived, they chased him upstairs towards his apartment.

“During the subsequent interaction the Newton police deployed less than lethal force, using a beanbag shotgun, at 2:01pm one of the state troopers who had responded deployed a taser,” said Ryan. “Both of those uses of nonlethal force were unsuccessful in subduing the suspect.”

Ryan says that’s when two officers fired shots at Conlon, who later died.

The shop owner’s husband says this was a sad outcome, but he’s beyond thankful his wife wasn’t hurt.

“I’m incredibly proud of her and again we’re sad, but the worst outcome would be if something happened to both of them,” said the shop owner’s husband. “So we’re glad that she’s okay, but I’m sure she’ll have some stress to deal with, I don’t think she’ll sleep very well tonight.”

Cox Media Group