Brockton resident John Lazare was held without bail Monday after allegedly shooting a police officer who found him robbing a pizza delivery driver at gunpoint.
“There are simply no provisions of release that would guarantee the safety of the victims here or the broader public,” argued Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy at Lazare’s arraignment in Roxbury District Court on Monday morning.
Lazare, 23, pleaded not guilty to nine charges for the alleged robbery and shooting Friday, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and armed robbery, and one charge of armed and masked robbery for another alleged robbery Wednesday.
Lazare was held Monday pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for June 23.
On Wednesday, a man matching Lazare’s description was captured on film allegedly robbing a delivery driver delivering two pizzas to 44 Cedric Street in Roxbury, the prosecution said.
During the search for the unidentified suspect, a police officer investigating the incident was revisiting the scene alone — a “not surprising” show of initiative for the officer, noted BPD spokesperson Sgt. Det. John Boyle on Monday — when he came across a man matching the suspect’s description pointing a gun at another delivery driver, according to a BPD arrest report.
The suspect allegedly fired multiple shots at the officer, striking him in the foot and rear, and ran into a building, Murphy recounted. This led to a pursuit to a nearby rooftop, she continued, where the man leapt or fell into an alleyway, reportedly broke his foot and was apprehended.
The suspect, identified as John Lazare, was taken to the hospital following the pursuit and reportedly wheelchair-bound at the arraignment. Several other officers were also injured in the pursuit, Murphy said.
Police fired no shots during the Friday incident, Boyle stated.
The injured officer, who joined the force in 2017, has reportedly been released from the hospital and is expected to recover. His name has not been made public.
Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the injured officer “did everything he could to honor the sanctity of life and make sure that this person was also captured.”
“Any shooting of a police officer is of immense concern to all of us in law enforcement and society,” said Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden. “The fact that this officer once worked as an investigator in our office makes it hit particularly close to home.”
The defense objected to the judge holding Lazare under the protective order, arguing the danger to witnesses did not match the precedent for the order.
There was a massive turnout of Boston police officers packing the courtroom Monday, with over 60 officers in attendance.
“The show of support was fantastic from the rank and file officers that are here to support one of our own that was obviously involved in gunfire and shot the other night,” said Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Larry Calderone at the courthouse. “It’s a blessing that he made it out of there alive.”
Lazare was granted permission to remain out of sight during the arraignment proceedings, the judge said, “due to reasons discussed in sidebar having to do with identification.”
The 23-year-old Brockton man had two previous warrants for his arrest from Salem in 2020 and Quincy in 2022, the police report stated, on charges of identity fraud, larceny over $1,200, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and others.
