Mayor Sarno & Commissioner Clapprood Urge Court System to Hold Dangerous Repeat Offender
Springfield, Mass. — On Saturday December 4th around 7:00 p.m. Springfield Police Officers arrested 19 year old Keniel Santiago inside an apartment on the 100 block of Lowell Street. At approximately 6:10 p.m. Saturday officers responded to Lowell Street for a gun call. When officers arrived a car was fleeing the area and a passenger in the car, later identified, as Santiago pointed a firearm out the window at an officer. The officer drew his service pistol and fired striking the car. An initial report was that there were shots fired in the direction of the officer. A preliminary investigation determined the suspect pointed his firearm at the officer and did not shoot. Santiago allegedly fired his gun during a dispute prior to the officer’s arrival. No one was struck by gunfire.
The fleeing vehicle crashed on Riverside Road. Both the driver and passenger fled on foot. The driver was able to get out of the area. The passenger, Santiago, was later located inside a closet in a Lowell Street apartment. A loaded firearm was recovered outside the closet.
The suspect has open firearm and drug charges in Holyoke District Court. He was also arrested on firearm and drug charges in Vermont on November 17th. Mayor Sarno is once again disappointed with the court systems revolving door for gun violence.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “I have been steadfast in my clarion call to have our Court System hold repeat violent offenders. Last night, once again, an officer had a firearm pointed at him by an individual who has multiple open gun charges against him but yet is once again back on our streets to again, perpetuate harm and possible death whether to one of our brave and dedicated officers and/or residents. I reached out last night to the officer who faced this very traumatic situation head-on in order to protect our public, with words of encouragement. Again, I am not going to mince any words, ‘What the hell does it take to hold these gun-toting, repeat violent offenders?’ The Court System must do a much better job to not only protect all of our residents and business community but just as important back up our cops.”
Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood said, “I am urging the courts to ensure this individual is held after he is arraigned. His brazen actions that only seem to be emboldened by the lack of consequences he has faced in different court systems put not only our officers’ life in danger, but also dozens of innocent bystanders in our North End Neighborhood. Please keep this dangerous individual off our streets.”
Supervisors in the Springfield Police Detective Bureau and the Hampden District Attorney’s Office are conducting the officer involved shooting investigation. Per policy the officer handed in his service pistol pending the results of the investigation.
Santiago is expected to be arraigned in Springfield District Court on Monday on various assault and firearms charges.
