By Tiffany Williams –
SHREWSBURY, Mass. — A quiet Monday afternoon turned into chaos when a black BMW SUV smashed straight into the front of the Shrewsbury Police Department, sending shockwaves through the building and leaving dispatchers shaken but alive.
Police say Robert McCluskey drove his 2022 BMW SUV directly into the station at approximately 2:02 p.m. He was the only person inside the vehicle. The SUV tore through the front door and plowed into the dispatch area, where three dispatchers were working at the time.
Although the building was occupied, no officers, staff members or bystanders were physically injured.
McCluskey was transported to a local hospital and then taken into custody. As officers pulled him from the wreckage, a police report notes that he repeatedly said, “I am sorry, I am sorry, help me, I am so sorry.”
Witnesses told investigators that earlier in the day McCluskey made alarming statements, including, “I want suicide by cop” and “I am going to end this,” according to the police report. The officer who documented the incident also noted an odor of alcohol on McCluskey’s breath.
Shrewsbury Police Chief Kevin Anderson confirmed the severity of the impact during a press conference.
“The vehicle actually went through the front door and actually went into the dispatch. There were three dispatchers working at the time, and they are very shaken up,” Anderson said.
McCluskey now faces a long list of criminal charges: one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of destruction of property over $1,200, and one count of reckless operation of a motor vehicle. Under Massachusetts law, a motor vehicle qualifies as a dangerous weapon when used in a way capable of causing serious bodily injury or death.
Despite the lack of physical injuries, prosecutors allege McCluskey’s actions placed multiple people in immediate danger and caused significant damage to the police facility.
The lobby of the Shrewsbury Police Department remains closed due to the damage. The department is directing the public to call its business line at 508-845-1212 to file police reports, while emergency calls should continue to go to 911. Anderson said the department is working to secure a trailer to maintain full 911 operations while repairs are underway.
From a legal standpoint, the charges reflect how Massachusetts law treats a motor vehicle when it is allegedly used as a weapon. Assault and battery with a dangerous weapon under MGL c. 265, § 15A applies when a defendant intentionally or recklessly makes a harmful or offensive touching using an object capable of causing serious bodily injury or death. In Massachusetts, a vehicle qualifies as a dangerous weapon when used in that manner, and the charge carries potential penalties of up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2.5 years in a house of correction, along with a fine of up to $5,000.
The three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon under MGL c. 265, § 15B do not require physical contact. Prosecutors must show intentional conduct that placed victims in reasonable fear of imminent bodily injury through the use of a dangerous weapon. Each count can be punished by up to five years in state prison or up to 2.5 years in a house of correction, plus a fine of up to $1,000, and each count typically corresponds to a separate individual allegedly endangered by the conduct.
The destruction of property charge under MGL c. 266, § 127 alleges willful and malicious damage exceeding $1,200, elevating the offense to a felony with exposure of up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2.5 years in a house of correction and a fine of up to $3,000. The reckless operation charge under MGL c. 90, § 24(2)(a) addresses operating a motor vehicle in a reckless or negligent manner that endangers the public and carries potential jail time, fines, and license suspension.
Prosecutors may also evaluate additional legal avenues based on the facts already documented, including a possible operating under the influence charge if chemical testing supports impairment, mental health commitment proceedings under MGL c. 123, and a dangerousness hearing under MGL c. 276, § 58A. Statements referencing “suicide by cop,” the targeting of a police facility, and the alleged use of a vehicle as a weapon are all factors that weigh heavily in bail determinations and in decisions about whether to seek pretrial detention.
McClusky is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at Westborough District Court. He remains in custody in a holding area at the courthouse awaiting appearance before Chief Judge Jennifer A. Stark. At arraignment, the charges will be formally read, a plea is expected to be entered, and the court will address bail and conditions of release. Even without physical injuries, the allegations place McCluskey at the center of a case that prosecutors and the court are likely to treat as a serious threat to public safety, with consequences that extend far beyond the damage left behind at the front doors of the Shrewsbury Police Department.