Charbonnier

The State Police Association of Massachusetts

In memory of the Massachusetts State Police Officers who gave their lives in service to the Commonwealth

Support the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation

September 2, 1994

Trooper Charbonnier, the son and brother of police officers, was a graduate of the last recruit training troop to train in Framingham at what is now the General Headquarters. The 69^th Recruit Training Troop graduated on October 28^th, 1988.

On the early morning hours of September 2^nd, 1994, Trooper Charbonnier was on routine patrol on a desolate section of Rte. 3 in Kingston. At 0315 hrs, he conducted a motor vehicle stop of a van operating Southbound. He approached the lone operator and obtained a license and registration for the subject. While retrieving these items, the subject, a paroled killer named David Clark, began to fire a handgun at the Trooper from his seated position within the van. Trooper Charbonnier was able to take immediate action, resulting in a ferocious close range gun battle near the drivers side of the van. Trooper Charbonnier fired 4 rounds from his issued Sig Sauer 9mm sidearm, Clark fired 4 rounds from a .32 caliber handgun.

Clark was seriously wounded in the battle, suffering hits to the arm and head. Trooper Charbonnier was mortally wounded by a bullet which struck his abdomen one inch below his bullet proof vest.

After he was injured, Trooper Charbonnier was able to calmly send the radio broadcast of "Route 3 Kingston, get an ambulance here. Shots fired, ambulance, ambulance." The first responding trooper at the scene found Trooper Charbonnier in a covered position at the rear of the van, his weapon still trained on his assailant. Trooper Charbonnier was bleeding severely and fighting for consciousness. He was evacuated from the scene and died later that morning in the operating room of a Boston Hospital.

Trooper Charbonnier had just received approval for a transfer to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office as an investigator. He was newly married and working on his law degree at the New England School of Law, which he would have attained in May of 1995.

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