No Charges In Shooting Of Local Man By Police Officer

There will be no criminal charges stemming from the September 1, 2017 shooting of a local man by a Pittsfield Police officer. That information came in a press release Wednesday from the office of District Attorney David Capeless. 36 year old Daniel Gillis was shot by Pittsfield Police Officer Christopher Colello, who had responded with other officers to a 911 domestic violence call placed by Gillis’s girlfriend at their residence at 42 Taylor Street in Pittsfield.

Capeless stated, “I have completed the investigation into the shooting death of Daniel Gillis on the afternoon on September 1, 2017, and I have concluded that there was no criminal behavior on the part of any of the officers of the Pittsfield Police Department. Specifically, I have determined that Officer Christopher Colello acted lawfully in defense of his fellow officers when Gillis suddenly charged at the officers while brandishing a knife.”

“Clearly, this was an unfortunate situation which ended tragically.  The entire incident developed within a short period of time and rapidly escalated when Gillis emerged from the house holding a knife to his throat and advanced upon officers despite their calls to drop the knife.  When Gillis suddenly changed direction and charged at several officers, yelling at them, the situation changed from dangerous to life-threatening.”

“In this case, a cell phone video taken by a neighbor was quite helpful to the investigation, as it showed the incident shortly after Gillis emerged from the rear of the house and included the shooting.  The investigation involved multiple, extended interviews of the many participants and witnesses, but the few seconds of the real-time capture of the event provided the most informative piece of the investigation.”

The investigation was conducted by the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office, assisted by the Massachusetts State Police Firearm Identification and Crime Scene Services Sections, Chemists assigned to the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory, the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Department and the Pittsfield Police Department.