Framingham man fired a gun several times, then struck K-9 while being arrested, police say
FRAMINGHAM — Police say a local man fired several shots and assaulted a police dog during a downtown incident on Sunday evening before getting arrested.
Police arrested Rander Costa-Silva, 26, after the 6:10 p.m. incident near the 135 Restaurant & Lounge, 672 Waverly St. (Route 135).
No one was shot, police said.
In a press release, police said officers responded to the restaurant after a report of shots fired. Once police arrived, witnesses said the alleged shooter, Costa-Silva, was hiding in the back seat of his pickup truck on nearby Bridges Street.
Officers ordered Costa-Silva from his truck, but he did not respond. Police then used a less-lethal shotgun — a specialty shotgun that does not fire 12-gauge rounds — to blast out a window.
'Ready for active shooters': Framingham Police Department gets training on tense scenarios
Police then sent in one of the department's dogs, Murph, to try to get Costa-Silva out of the vehicle.
"During the apprehension, the suspect struck the K-9 several times," police said in the release. "At that point, officers were able to take the suspect into custody."
Suspect faces several charges, including injuring a police dog
Police searched the truck and found a loaded handgun, along with a second loaded magazine, according to the release.
Police did not say what led to Costa-Silva, whose address was not provided, firing shots. They also did not say if Murph, a Belgian Malinois-German shepherd mix, suffered any injuries.
Costa-Silva was treated for minor injuries at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham.
A K-9 for every shift': Framingham police K-9 unit has become nearly a 24-7 operation
He is charged with injuring or interfering with a police dog; discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building; two counts of carrying a loaded firearm; two counts of possession of ammunition without an FID card; two counts of possession of a large capacity feeding device; receiving a stolen firearm; and disorderly conduct.
Costa-Silva was originally scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Framingham District Court. However, the arraignment was postponed until Tuesday because there were no Portuguese interpreters available.
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham police: Man fired a gun, then assaulted K9
