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On April 21, 2022, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Edward “Jake” Alldredge (formerly assigned to the Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit and currently assigned to CINRET-South), was working with his Boston Police partners, Officers Peter Lekaditis and Christopher Smerz (assigned to the Boston Police Youth Violence Task Force). They were investigating a suspect illegally carrying a firearm in Boston.
The investigation led the Officers and Trooper to Oak Lawn Cemetery in Roslindale. They were looking for a specific suspect in a motor vehicle. They located the suspect in a parked vehicle inside the gate to the cemetery with three other occupants.
They approached the car and ordered the occupants out of the vehicle. A rear passenger was uncooperative and refused to exit. The Officers and Trooper removed him after a struggle and recovered a firearm from his waistband. Another passenger was removed from the vehicle and was in possession of a second firearm that was loaded. The vehicle was searched, and two more firearms were recovered from the glove compartment.
The Officers and Trooper exhibited the highest levels of courage, tactics, teamwork, and communication despite being outnumbered by four armed individuals.
On March 26, 2023, Boston Police Department awarded the Officers and Trooper with the Boston Police Departments Medal Of Honor with the Commissioner’s Special Citation.
