Authorities in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, have ruled that an officer who shot and ultimately killed a man during a racially motivated rampage in Winthrop will not be held criminally responsible for his death.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office determined that Sgt. Nicholas Bettano was justified in his use of force because the actions of 28-year-old Nathan Allen had resulted in two deaths and could have led to more.
According to the DA’s office, Allen went on a terrorist rampage on June 26, 2021. First, he crashed a stolen box truck into a vehicle and building. The investigation revealed that Allen may have had plans to crash the truck into a synagogue but lost control of the vehicle, which caused him to crash.
After he got out of the car, he pulled out a gun and fatally shot two unarmed civilians, David Green and Ramona Cooper, both Black, in Winthrop.
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An investigation found that Sgt. Nicholas Bettano, who was a first responder to the active shooter scene, shot Allen after the suspect aimed his gun at him.
After speaking to witnesses, district attorney Kevin Hayden found that Allen spewed “troubling white supremacist rhetoric” that suggested he was fixated on killing Black and Jewish people.
“Our investigation makes clear that the officer’s actions were justified that tragic day. Indeed, it is likely that this officer’s brave actions saved others from being injured or killed as a result of Nathan Allen’s racially motivated rampage,” Hayden said in a written statement. “This was a terrifying incident for Winthrop, rooted in Nathan Allen’s deep White Supremacist hatred.”
He added, “Winthrop leaders and residents deserve great credit for how they have moved to heal the wounds from that tragic day.”
At the time, Bettano, an officer with the Winthrop Police Department, didn’t know that Allen’s attack was racially motivated. He only noticed that Allen was armed with a loaded gun and had shifted his attention from the people to him.
After Bettano shot Allen, he placed him in handcuffs and tried to treat him before taking him to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Hayden wrote in the DA office’s report that he believed Bettano’s use of deadly force was justified because Allen posed such a threat to the people in the area at the time of his rampage. Hayden also commended the officer for “bravery” in light of the present danger.
“Sgt. Bettano exhibited extraordinary bravery by engaging Mr. Allen, likely saving the lives of civilians in the area. Under the circumstances, the use of deadly force was a lawful and reasonable exercise of self-defense and defense of others,” the DA said, according to NBC Boston.
Bettano was previously recognized by the National Association of Police Organizations with the Honorable Mention Award at the NAPO’s TOP COPS Awards outside Washington, D.C.
His department’s chief, Terence M. Delehanty, celebrated the sergeant for his service in light of the danger he faced.
“This event was a significant tragedy, which impacted our entire community, and Sgt. Bettano’s quick thinking and bravery as the first responder on scene undoubtedly prevented it from becoming an even worse tragedy,” Delehanty said in an interview with Winthrop Public Safety. “He is incredibly deserving of this recognition.”
