On July 15, 2018, Sergeant Michael Chesna, a 42-year-old veteran of the Weymouth Police Department in Massachusetts, was fatally shot while responding to a report of an erratic driver near South Shore Hospital. The incident began when Chesna encountered Emanuel Lopes, then 20 years old, who had been involved in a minor car crash and was subsequently seen vandalizing a home on Burton Terrace in Weymouth.
According to authorities, Chesna approached Lopes, who was throwing rocks at a home,
and attempted to arrest him. During the confrontation, Lopes attacked Chesna with a large rock, striking him in the head and knocking him to the ground. Lopes then seized Chesna's service weapon and shot him multiple times in the head and chest. Chesna was taken to South Shore Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Following the shooting of Chesna, Lopes allegedly fired at two responding police officers and then shot 77-year-old Vera Adams, who was standing in her sunroom watching the scene unfold. Adams was also fatally shot. Lopes was eventually apprehended by other responding officers, who wounded him in the leg during the arrest.
Emanuel Lopes was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Sergeant Michael Chesna and Vera Adams. His first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023, as the jury could not reach a unanimous decision due to Lopes's history of mental illness. His defense argued that Lopes's actions were a result of his mental health issues and chronic marijuana use, which had led to frequent hospitalizations.
A second trial began on January 8, 2024, with a jury from a different county. After more than a week of deliberation, the new jury found Lopes guilty of the murders of Chesna and Adams. Lopes was subsequently sentenced to consecutive life sentences on July 31, 2024, by Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone. He will not be eligible for parole until he is 60 years old.
Lopes's mother had previously spoken out about her son's struggles with mental health, stating that the mental health system had failed him and that she had tried to get him help, including at South Shore Mental Health in Quincy, but he had refused to take his medication. She also mentioned having a restraining order against him.
During the sentencing, Lopes offered a brief apology to the families and friends of his victims, saying, 'I'm so sorry, this should have never happened.' The sentencing hearing included powerful victim impact statements from friends and family of the victims, which were considered by Judge Cannone before delivering the sentence.
Sergeant Michael Chesna was a U.S. Army veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart. He had served with the Weymouth Police Department for six years and was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He is survived by his wife, Cindy Chesna, and their two children. The Route 18 bridge over the MBTA Colony Railroad in Weymouth was dedicated as the 'Sergeant Michael C. Chesna First Responders Bridge' in his honor.
