Fairhaven man charged after pointing gun at officer, asking police to shoot him

Criminal charges will be filed against a Fairhaven man due to his actions during an incident which took place in Medway and Milford on Friday starting at approximately 5:15 p.m.

According to Chief of Police William Kingsbury, the Fairhaven Police Department had issued a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) and requested a wellbeing check on 30-year-old Zachary Richard Travers who was believed to be in Medway and to be suffering a mental health crisis. Fairhaven reported that Travers was armed and possibly dangerous.

Medway Patrol Officers Thomas Godino and Katie Sharkey, who were engaged in another call, saw a car matching the description of Travers’ car driving on Route 109 shortly after the BOLO was released and broadcast the information.

A short time later, Officer Meghan Casey located and stopped Travers in the area of Milford Street in Medway where she engaged with him. During her initial interaction with Travers, she found that he was armed with a sword and a handgun which he allegedly brandished during her initial encounter at the driver’s side window.

After Travers dropped the handgun, he put on ballistic body armor while Officer Casey continued attempting to deescalate the situation during which Patrol Officers Godino and Sharkey responded to assist. Travers began repeatedly demanding that Officer Casey shoot him during their encounter, according to police.

Travers fled the scene, and a low-speed pursuit took place. Travers pulled over and fled several times. Officers of the Milford and Holliston Police Departments were called to assist. Travers eventually was stopped at the Route 495 interchange in Milford where he was forcibly removed from his vehicle and taken into custody after pointing a handgun at a member of the Milford Police Department.

Several illegally possessed firearms and illegally possessed dangerous weapons were found in Travers’ car and seized by the Milford Police Department.

Travers was arraigned in Milford District Court Monday on charges filed by the Milford Police Department. He will be charged in Wrentham District Court with several offences for his actions in Medway including Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon for brandishing a firearm at Officer Casey.