Officer Injured, Person Shot Dead In Roxbury

Boston Police Commissioner William Gross and recordings of police dispatch pieced together the events of an early morning shooting in Roxbury, resulting in the death of a male suspect and a wounded officer with non-life threatening injuries.

Hours after the incident, strips of police tape remained on the ground on Gerard Street, where Gross said officers had stopped the suspect at 2:21 a.m. for a traffic stop.

At the time of the stop, the suspect — later identified by police as Kasim Kahrim, 36, of Boston — exchanged gunfire with police and one of the responding officers was heard telling dispatch, “My brother’s been shot.” The wounded officer was taken to Boston Medical Center where he was treated for his wounds, according to Gross.

After the shooting, the suspect then took off in his car, which police said was a blue minivan, turning right on Allerton Street.

Officers pursued the suspect to George Street where, Gross said, Kahrim was found inside the vehicle with the firearm. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement Friday that her office will conduct "an independent investigation" that "will be full, fair, thorough, and impartial," and encouraged anyone with information to contact her office.

"Any loss of life is tragic and this morning’s events on Gerard Street are no exception," Rollins said in the statement. "I want to express my relief that the injured officer is expected to survive. I hope for his full recovery, and my thoughts are with his family at home and his brothers and sisters in law enforcement. I also want to express my deep sadness and sympathies for the family and loved ones of the man whose life was lost. They, too, are undoubtedly in shock at circumstances beyond their control."