Hospital valet now in critical condition, investigation to look at whether suspect specifically shot him or whether he was hit as police fired at suspect

Boston Police this afternoon released some preliminary information on the morning incident that ended with a Brigham and Women's Hospital valet wounded, the suspect dead, the hospital locked down and several cars damaged in a crash that shut the westbound side of Rte. 9 in Brookline.

Police Superintendent-in-Chief Gregory Long said at a press conference that somebody called 911 around 9:20 a.m. to report a man with a gun at Fenwood Road and Vining Street outside the hospital. When officers arrived, they "engaged" the man, who pointed the gun at them. The officers opened fire, the man physically attacked one of the officers on the ground and then he jumped into his car, Long said.

The man, whom Long did not identify, drove up to Huntington Avenue and then onto Rte. 9 in Brookline, with officers in pursuit - joined by a state trooper who happened to be on or near Rte. 9 at the time. The man got to Hammond Street - in front of the Chestnut Hill Star Market and crashed into several cars, Long said.

Long said the man got out and took out a gun. Several officers and the trooper ordered him to drop the gun, but he did not and they opened fire on him, critically wounding him. He was taken to Beth Israel Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Long said. Several of the officers were also taken to local hospitals for observation - standard practice for officers who have fired their guns. He said all have been released.

As that was happening, Brigham and Women emergency-room doctors and nurses rushed outside to care for the 49-year-old valet and the hospital went into lockdown mode as police flooded the area and shut Fenwood and surrounding streets.

Long said that police are still investigating exactly why the man went on a rampage or how the valet got shot - he could not say if the suspect targeted the valet specifically or if he were hit by the gunfire aimed at police officers.

Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Mulhern said that in addition to investigations by Boston, Brookline and State Police, his office would conduct a separate investigation, standard procedure whenever police officers fatally shoot somebody.

But he did say "this was an isolated incident,"