
FITCHBURG — On Tuesday, July 12 at 5:37 p.m., officers from the Fitchburg Police Department responded to Coolidge Park located at 198 Townsend Street following a report of a man “barricaded under a bridge with a firearm.”
According to a press release from the Fitchburg Police Department, “as a result of the severity” of the incident, the Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations (STOP) Team was called to the scene as well.
After several hours of negotiations, police say the armed man, later identified as Justin Sousa, 29, of Fitchburg, surrendered peacefully.
According to the Fitchburg Police Department’s release, earlier in the day, Sousa is alleged to have assaulted a 59-year-old woman with a dangerous weapon, seriously injuring her. The woman was transported to an area hospital where she is presently in stable condition.
Sousa is being held on a charge of Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon Causing Serious Bodily Injury.