BOYLSTON — Authorities have identified Patrick Sargent, 25, as the man fatally shot by police at his family home in Boylston on March 5. The shooting, which followed an hours-long police search for an “armed and dangerous” suspect, remains under investigation.
According to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the office are leading the investigation and will submit their findings upon completion.
Additionally, District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. has enlisted Attorney John Dawley Sr., of Winchester, MA, to conduct an external review of the case. Dawley, a former First Assistant District Attorney in Essex County, served in that role for 20 years and spent another seven years as an Assistant District Attorney. He also has 17 years of experience in private practice. Upon completing his review, Dawley will submit his conclusions to the district attorney.
According to a Boylston Police Department statement posted on Facebook at 9:43 a.m. on March 5, 2025, officers were searching for a 25-year-old white man described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 194 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie and was considered “armed and dangerous.”
Police, K9 units, and drones were deployed to search the area of Central Street and French Drive, prompting authorities to instruct residents to stay inside. Roads were shut down, including Central Street between Linden Street and French Drive, and French Drive at its intersection with Main Street.
By 11:06 a.m., on March 5, police confirmed an active crime scene but assured the public that there was no ongoing threat.
At 4:26 p.m., the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office announced that an investigation was underway into a fatal officer-involved shooting at a home on Central Street. Officials clarified that no officers had been injured but did not disclose the circumstances which led up to the shooting.
The home, a green-colored house on Central Street, was occupied by a husband, wife, and their two adult sons. Neighbors described them as an ordinary family who often set up a pool in their backyard during the summer.
The incident left neighbors shaken. Jane Lucia Molina, who lives several yards north of the home, returned from a doctor’s appointment that morning to find a fire truck and ambulance outside her neighbor’s house. She recalled receiving an emergency alert instructing residents to stay indoors as officers secured the area.
“It was very unsettling, I think, for everybody here,” Molina told MassLive. “The police were very helpful. They had issued a call telling everyone to stay inside, so you felt safe. But it was very unsettling because once you see the ambulances, all the police activity, the drones, the helicopter…”
She added that although she usually hears LifeFlight helicopters transporting patients to the hospital, the sound of police helicopters overhead made her think that “something sad happened” at her neighbor’s home.
Another neighbor, Tom Garry, who lives across Central Street from the home, was at work in Framingham when the incident occurred. He returned home around 7 p.m. to find the road still closed but was allowed back into his neighborhood.
“It’s sad to hear that somebody died,” Garry said. “The next day, I was talking to my kids and said, ‘I hope the neighbors are okay.’”
By Thursday morning (March 6), police had cleared the area, and the street had reopened.