SPD Officers Arrest Shooting Suspect; K9 Flexx Locates Semi-Automatic Firearm
Springfield, Mass. — On Wednesday September 11th at approximately 2:30 p.m., members of the Springfield Police Emergency Services Unit (ESU), C3 Units, Ordinance Unit, K9 Unit and Squad “B” officers seized a loaded firearm and arrested 36-year-old LaJuan Lake inside a vacant home on Washburn Street.
The night before, officers responded to Washburn Street for a report of vandalism and then later for a report of shots fired. A suspect, later identified as Lajuan Lake, is alleged to have shot into a home of a known person from a vacant house. This caused damage to a second-floor bedroom wall, where a juvenile victim was sleeping.
Around noon on Wednesday, officers received information that Lake returned to Washburn Street and went back inside the vacant house. Lake was also arrestable for an outstanding warrant. Since Officers believed Lake may be armed, the Springfield Police Emergency Services Unit was activated.
Around 1:10 p.m., members of the ESU under the direction of Lt. Matthew Benoit responded and would later deploy a tactical robot into the home. ESU members then went into the home and placed Lake under arrest without incident.
Once the scene was secure, Springfield Police K9 Officer Eric Blair and K9 Flexx went into the home to search for evidence. K9 Flexx located a large capacity firearm on the second floor.
K9 Flexx
36-year-old LaJuan Lake of Springfield is charged with:
- Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm
- Armed Breaking and Entering – Daytime for a Felony
- Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony
- Improper Storage of a Large Capacity Firearm
- Stalking (Two Counts)
- Threat to Commit a Crime (Three Counts)
- Witness Intimidation
- Vandalize Property
- Discharging a Firearm within 500 feet of a Building
- Attempted Assault and Battery with a Firearm
- Malicious Destruction of Property Less than $1200
- Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
- Default Warrant
