Springfield Republican – Friday, November 11, 2011

The Rev. Talbert W. Swan II, Springfield branch president of the NAACP, Friday called for an independent investigation of the shooting death of 18-year-old Tahiem Goffe.

The teenager died of injuries inflicted by a gunshot wound in the wake of a Nov. 6 confrontation with police, who said Goffe was behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle when he attempted to run down an officer.

“The Springfield Branch NAACP is requesting an independent investigation to ensure that proper police procedures were employed and that the investigation will not be compromised,” Swan said Friday.

Swan said that, ideally, he would like an independent prosecutor to look at the case, or at the very least he would like Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni to publicly release the results of his probe.

“My policy is to review all police shootings,” Mastroianni said Friday.

He said the Springfield Police Department Detective Bureau is doing an internal investigation and a state police ballistics team is looking at the evidence.

“We have a procedure in place, just like the procedure used in the recent Palmer police shooting. We will review the police investigation,” Mastroianni said.

Next week, Mastroianni is expected to do an analysis to see whether the procedure needs to be further modified for this case.

“I don’t know yet whether I will modify our procedure, but if I modify it, I will make my decision public,” he said.

Goffe was shot by Springfield police early on the morning of Nov. 6, after authorities said he drove at Police Officer Matthew Benoit, who was on foot, striking Benoit and sending him airborne over the front corner of the vehicle and onto the pavement.

“The officer was able to fire a round at the oncoming car to possibly save his life,” Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

Benoit, who remains on paid administrative leave, was treated at Baystate Medical Center and released. Delaney, aide to Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said the department has begun an internal investigation into the shooting, as it automatically does with any shooting involving a police officer.

The results of that investigation will be forwarded to Mastroianni.

Goffe, who suffered a single gunshot wound, also was taken to Baystate, where he died Monday night.

Swan said the case is reminiscent of a 1994 incident in which Benjamin Schoolfield was shot and killed by a Springfield patrolman after Schoolfield was stopped in a van that was falsely reported as stolen.