Man who attempted to disarm police, suicide by cop, sentenced to prison in Fall River

A 33-year-old former Taunton man who attempted to break into two homes before pulling a look alike pellet gun on police in an apparent attempt to commit ‘suicide by cop’ was convicted of a litany of crimes last week and sentenced to serve up to a decade in prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Serge Andre was convicted in Fall River Superior Court on indictments charging him with Assault and Battery on a Police Officer with Attempt to Disarm, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle and two counts of Attempted Breaking and Entering.

On December 16, 2018, Andre approached a home in Mansfield. He was carrying a newspaper in a plastic bag. When the homeowner and her two children answered the door, Andre asked if she got the Herald and when he said no, he left. The homeowner called the police non-emergency number and reported the strange encounter. As a Mansfield Police officer approached the area, he was looking for the person matching the homeowner’s description. As he approached the street from the opposite end, he saw the Andre (matching the description) in a small Honda SUV. The officer got the license plate, but as he was turning around, Andre turned in the direction opposite of which he was signaling and fled, almost causing a collision.

Andre then drove to a secluded house in Easton. The house and it’s driveway could not be seen from the street. Again, using the thin disguise of holding a paper, Andre attempted to gain entry. When the homeowner did not respond, Andre repeatedly tried every entrance and tried to kick in a sliding glass door. As the police arrived in response to that homeowner’s 911 call, Andre left, and upon seeing the police again, fled at a high rate of speed. This time miles up the road, Andre caused a collision.

The collision caused Andre’s vehicle to come to a rest in the parking lot of the state forest. The person whose car he hit got out of his car and approached him to try to help him. As he did this, he saw Andre reach for his waistband, and knowing that likely meant he had a gun, that driver hid behind his car. Other civilians in the area saw Andre pull out a gun and they too hid from him.

The two police officers responding to the homeowner’s 911 call arrived on scene. They saw the Andre go to the corner of a house and encountered him there. Andre pulled what appeared to be a Glock from his waistband (it was later determined to be a pellet gun) and pointed it at the officers. The officers engaged with their department issued firearms. Andre repeatedly made statements that he wanted the officers to kill him and charged towards them. As one of the officers was attempting to put distance between himself and Andre by backing up, he tripped. Andre then tried to get the officer’s firearm, causing a physical struggle. That struggle was only brought to an end when the other officer shot Andre in the buttocks area. The officers immediately rendered first aid and his life was saved.

After accepting Andre’s guilty pleas, Judge Renee Dupuis sentenced him to serve eight-and-a-half to 10 years in state prison, followed by three years of supervised probation. The case was prosecuted by Co-First Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg and Co-Second Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sowa.

Andre had been released from prison just four months prior to this incident. He had previously served a prison sentence related to a 2014 conviction for two separate armed, masked robberies committed with a lookalike gun.

“I’m pleased the jury held the defendant accountable for a crime spree that included attempting to break into a woman’s home, assaulting police with a pellet gun and crashing into a civilian’s vehicle while trying to flee the scene. This case highlights the danger the police face every day when they confront violent and uncooperative suspects,” District Attorney Quinn said. “The police were clearly justified in feeling their lives were in jeopardy when the defendant pulled out a pellet gun that looked like a Glock handgun. At the time of this incident the defendant was on probation for an armed robbery. The defendant is a career criminal who needs to be kept off the street for as long as possible.”