East Bridgewater schools closed in wake of fatal shooting

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

EAST BRIDGEWATER -- Schools are closed here today after a long-time resident became despondent and took his own life early this morning even as police tried to help him, police said.

The man, identified as 35-year-old Chad Hirtle, shot himself once with a handgun around 6:20 a.m. in a field off Spring street, ending the incident that began shortly after 2 a.m., said Sergeant Steven Brown, a department spokesman.

Schools were closed because Hirtle was not in custody at 6 a.m., which is the time a school closing decision must be made, Brown said.

During the incident, Hirtle fired seven rounds from his handgun, but Brown said it was not clear if he was shooting at officers, or discharging it in the air.

Brown said police first encountered Hirtle's wife as she drove back and forth on Spring street in this South Shore town early in the morning. She told police she was looking for her husband, who had become despondent and was armed.

Brown said the Satucket Regional Tactical Team, a SWAT team from neighboring police departments, was activated, a search was mounted and Hirtle was located in the field off Spring Street behind a crane company yard.

Negotiators spoke with Hirtle and police eventually got close enough to shoot him twice with beanbag shotguns, a less-than-lethal weapon designed to knock a person down. But Brown said that as officers rushed him and tried to wrestle the weapon away, he managed to fire one shot, killing himself.

Brown said he knew Hirtle personally and it was not immediately clear what triggered his actions. Brown said Hirtle was the father of three children, "was a great dad,'' and was not known to be suffering financially.

He also said Hirtle had a valid firearms identification card and was licensed to carry a handgun.

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