A jury on Friday convicted a Greenfield man for the 2022 fatal shooting of an off-duty police officer in Blawnox.
Kevin McSwiggen, 42, was convicted of third-degree murder for killing 23-year-old Charles G. Stipetich, a rookie police officer in Oakdale. McSwiggen had maintained since his arrest that he shot Stipetich in self-defense after a road-rage incident.
Jurors deliberated for just less than a day. Sentencing is set for Oct. 9.
The confrontation came after McSwiggen followed Stipetich off of Route 28 and onto Fountain Street after he believed the off-duty officer cut him off in traffic. McSwiggen’s own dashboard camera recorded the lead-up to and a portion of the shooting.
The footage captured McSwiggen verbally taking issue with Stipetich’s driving after Stipetich passed him on the left shortly before 10:30 p.m. July 3, 2022. Investigators said at the time the camera’s audio caught McSwiggen swearing at Stipetich and then declaring “No, [expletive] this,” as he decided to follow McSwiggen off the highway and into Blawnox.
The video shows an exchange of words between the two men in the street after McSwiggen parks and confronts Stipetich, and Stipetich’s father eventually enters the fray. He appears to physically engage with McSwiggen, who goes out of the camera’s view.
As they re-enter the frame, the elder Mr. Stipetich continues to grapple with Mr. McSwiggen, but he falls to the ground. Simultaneously, Officer Stipetich comes back into the frame and appears to be examining himself for gunshot wounds. His gun is clearly seen still holstered in his waistband.
McSwiggen points his firearm at Stipetich’s father, who begins to stand up and back away. At that point, the video shows, Stipetich draws his weapon and fires one shot at McSwiggen, who was wounded and is not seen in the video again.
Stipetich approaches his father, appearing to show him where he was wounded before he collapses on the ground.
“Call the police,” the elder Stipetich yells to his wife. “Chuck’s been shot.”
First Published: July 19, 2024, 7:16 p.m.
Updated: July 20, 2024, 2:01 a.m.
