DA Announces That Officer Tarentino’s Shooter Was Shot and Killed

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Monday, May 23, 2016

GoLocalWorcester News Team

An Auburn Police officer was killed during an early morning vehicle stop and the man believed responsible for his murder was later shot to death after exchanging gunfire with police and wounding a State Trooper, according to District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.

Jorge A. Zambrano, 35, of Worcester, was killed shortly after 6 p.m. inside in apartment at 31-33 Watch St., Oxford. He wounded a veteran State Trooper a a brief confrontation. Both men were taken to UMass-Memorial.

The shootings in the Oxford apartment ended a day of intensive and thorough investigation into the fatal shooting of Officer Tarentino.

State Police Col. Richard McKeon announced at an early evening press conference that the trooper was ambulatory before being taken to the hospital and was expected to survive.

The name of the trooper, a member of the Special Tactical Operations Team, is not being released out of respect for the privacy of his family.

Officer Ronald Tarentino, a father of three who had transferred to Auburn from Leicester PD two years ago, was shot after pulling over an Infiniti SUV on Rochdale Street about 12:30 a.m. yesterday. He was taken to UMass-Memorial Hospital in Worcester where he died.

“I want to acknowledge all of the officers and agencies involved, including Auburn Police, Worcester Police, Oxford Police, the FBI, the Secret Service and the extensive assets of the State Police — the State Police Detectives Assigned to the District Attorney’s Office, Crime Scene Services, VFAS, the STOP team, the Air Wing and the Dive Team,” Mr. Early said. “I also want to thank Secretary of Public Safety Daniel Bennett who came to Auburn to help.”

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