STEFANI ZOLSAN – THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
PITSFILL – A man who approached Pittsfield police with a knife was fatally shot Friday night outside a house on Onota Street after attempts to subdue him failed, authorities said. Miguel Estrella, 22, died shortly after midnight after being taken to Berkshire Medical Center, according to a statement released Saturday afternoon by the Berkshire Attorney’s Office. State police have launched a criminal investigation into the use of force. Police initially responded after receiving a report that a man with a history of mental illness had self-injured at 279 Onota St. Arriving shortly before 10 pm, police found that the man had intentionally cut off his face and sought medical help on his behalf. “The matter was left to the care of his girlfriend, who agreed to stay with him for the night,” Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Winn said in a statement released early Saturday. Within minutes, police were called back to the address, a mile northwest of downtown, because the man was said to be disturbing. The caller said Estrella “should be taken to hospital,” the DA statement said. Police met Estrella, who was armed with a knife, according to the statement, which noted that an eyewitness confirmed that Estrella had a knife in his hands at the time. Estrella then “promoted” the officers, who twice used Tasers in an attempt to overthrow him. They were unsuccessful, prompting one of the officers to shoot Estrella with a pistol, hitting him twice. Police tried to take rescue measures and called emergency services, the department said. Police were notified by the hospital at 11:20 p.m. that Estrella had died. “I extend my deepest condolences to Mr Estrella’s friends and family on their loss,” District Attorney Andrea Harrington said in a statement. “The state police detective unit is conducting a thorough investigation to determine exactly what happened that led to this tragic death.” The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy-necropsy on Sunday. The detective unit is conducting an investigation that follows standard shooting protocols involving police officers, the statement said. The State Department of Crime Scene Services and the Firearms Identification Department are assisting. Both officers were placed on administrative leave, according to Wynn, and their names are being kept secret pending the preliminary report of the force’s internal investigation team. Anyone with information about the shooting is kindly requested to contact the State Police Detective Unit at 413-499-1112.
