Waltham Police Department seeking info on hit-and-run that killed officer, utility worker
Authorities are asking for help as they continue to investigate the killings of a Waltham police officer and utility worker that have left the community reeling.
Anyone who may have information is urged to share what they know surrounding the Dec. 6 incident in which a suspect allegedly barreled through a Waltham construction site, striking and killing veteran officer Paul Tracey, 58, and National Grid utility worker Roderick Jackson, 36.
The tragedy unfolded around 4:15 p.m. in the area of 166 Totten Pond Rd., about a mile away from Bentley University and Interstate 95.
“If you saw or heard anything that day that you think may be related to the investigation, please reach out,” the Waltham Police Department stated on Facebook Wednesday. “Even if you think it may not be of value, trained investigators may find evidentiary value in what appears to be the most minor of details and would like to hear from you.”
Waltham PD, partnering with State Police in the investigation, added that it’s interested in speaking to anyone who drove through the area prior to the crash or has cell phone or home camera footage of any part of the related incidents.
“If you drive a vehicle with onboard cameras or a dash camera or were even riding a bicycle with a camera on it and were in the area prior to or after the accident please look for footage for us as well,” the department stated.
Two other utility workers had been taken to a hospital after the crash for injuries. They were later released after receiving treatment.
After crashing into the officer and utility workers at the detail site, the suspect, Peter Simon, 54, of Woodsville, N.H., sped away and collided into multiple other vehicles before fleeing on foot, officials said.
A responding officer spotted Simon in a nearby neighborhood allegedly saying, “Police are going to kill me,” a police report states. The suspect then pulled a knife on the officer before getting into the officer’s cruiser and taking off at a “high rate of speed,” the report details.
While fleeing, Simon is said to have struck two Waltham cruisers, according to the report. The pursuit proceeded before Simon crashed in the area of 225 Winter St., where he was taken into custody.
Simon, who had a lengthy criminal record prior to this incident, is being held without bail on two counts of manslaughter and a slew of other charges. A dangerousness hearing scheduled for Thursday at Waltham District Court has been continued to Jan. 25, an official told the Herald.
Those looking to share information are told to email the department at tips@police.waltham.ma.us, call the voicemail tip line at 781-314-3636, or reach out on Facebook messenger.
“Anonymity can be provided if needed,” the department stated on Facebook. “These channels are to provide information related to the case to the police; not solicit information, updates etc.”
Tracey, a 28-year member of the department, will be remembered during a public wake Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. at Our Lady’s Comforter of the Afflicted Church on Trapelo Road. His funeral will be held at the same venue in Waltham on Friday morning at 10.
A number of staging areas will be set up for parking throughout the city for use on Thursday and Friday, while city schools will have a half Thursday before being closed Friday, according to officials.
“If the option to work remotely exists, it is strongly encouraged,” Waltham PD stated in a Facebook post Tuesday. “Non-essential travel in Waltham should be avoided.”
Services for Jackson are scheduled for Saturday at St. Paul AME Church on Bishop Allen Drive and Columbia Street in Cambridge, the city where the National Grid gas technician had lived. A wake will be held from 9 to 11 a.m., with the funeral directly following.
Jackson’s family is seeking to file a civil lawsuit, details of which will be released later this week.
“The man accused of killing Mr. Roderick Jackson and Officer Paul J. Tracey is a habitual offender who should have never been in the position to take the lives of these two beloved members of our community,” said Attorney Thomas Flaws, on behalf of Jackson’s family. “The system failed these two innocent men and we intend to seek civil justice to the fullest to avenge Mr. Jackon’s tragic passing which we hope can bring some semblance of peace to the Jackson family in due time.”