3 Arrested In Falmouth Shooting; Officers Expected To Recover

Two Falmouth police officers shot while responding to a call in a residential neighborhood are expected to recover. Three people were arrested and face charges in connection with the incident.

Police said officers Don DeMiranda and Ryan Moore were fired upon while responding to a disturbance around 5:30 p.m. Friday on Ashley Drive at Seacoast Shores Boulevard. Police said Malik Koval was breaking bottles in the street.

"[The officers] arrived, they observed this individual, they tried to have an encounter with him, he became more and more agitated and finally produced a weapon and began firing at the officers," Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe said.

According to police, Koval ran into the home at 2 Ashley Drive after they approached. Koval's mother, Kimberly Koval, and his brother, Marcus Maseda, allegedly tried to interfere when officers attempted to follow Koval into the house. That's when, according to police, Koval began shooting. The officers fired back at Koval, striking him several times.

Miranda was shot in the chest, but the bullet was stopped by his bulletproof vest. A second shot hit him in the shoulder area. Miranda was treated at Falmouth Hospital and is being transferred to a Boston hospital for follow up. Falmouth Police Chief Edward Dunne said Miranda is in stable condition.

"He’s up, he’s talking, his family is with him and he’s in good spirits," Dunne said Saturday afternoon.

Moore was grazed in the neck by a bullet. He was treated and later released from Falmouth Hospital.

"It could have been tragically different, but it isn’t and we’re very happy for that," Dunne said.

Police have arrested and charged Malik Koval, of East Falmouth, with the shooting. Koval was flown from Beth Israel in Plymouth to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston for treatment of his injuries.

Kimberly Koval and Marcus Maseda were charged with obstruction of justice, assault and battery on a police officer and interfering with the duties of a police officer.

Emmalyn Anderson, a relative of Koval, said she and her family are shocked and distressed about the incident. She described Koval as "such a wonderful kid" and said the incident is "very out of character" for him.

"We could never picture something like this," Anderson said in a phone interview. "It wasn't at all how he was raised and he must be going through something incredibly difficult. We are trying to sort out to try to figure out how it got to this point and bring him back to the kid we know."

Anderson, 28, said her family is thinking about the officers, and are grateful they will recover. 

Many neighbors in the area shook their heads, trying to reconcile the person they knew with the man accused of shooting two police officers. Tim Eaton, who lives near where the shooting took place, said Koval is one of his grandson's friends. Eaton has lived in the neighborhood lined with trees and modest homes for more than 40 years and said he was shocked by the "horrible" incident.

"The kid, as far as I know, is a good kid," Eaton said. "And it surprised me that it was him that did it."

Randall Tenney, who also lives in the area, said he has known Koval since he was 9 years old but has not seen him in about 10 years. Their mothers used to be coworkers, according to him.

"[I] never would have expected him to become a shooter," Tenney said. "It's mind blowing."

Erin Daunt, another neighbor, was visiting her mother nearby when she heard sirens around the time of the shooting.

"I don't understand why it happened," Daunt said.

Many people in Falmouth are struggling to understand the shooting incident, which follows the shooting death of Weymouth Police Sergeant Michael Chesna less than two weeks ago and the shooting death of Yarmouth Police Sergeant Sean Gannon in April.

Falmouth police said they've received an outpouring of support from the community.

"We’ve received numerous well wishes, expressions of love and support, gifts, food, coffee and of course countless thoughts and prayer," Dunne said. "We are thankful we are able to serve such a supportive community."

Stephanie Murphy and her daughter were among the well wishers who stopped by the Falmouth police station Saturday. They brought officers cake to show their support.

"It’s the least that we can do. It doesn’t really quite touch what they deserve," Murphy said.

Murphy said she knows Moore and is glad he is recovering.

"He’s just wonderful and to picture him in a situation like that, it’s just tough to swallow," Murphy said.

Falmouth police and state police detectives are investigating the shooting.

With additional reporting from Jonathan Cain