LYNN — The fatal shooting of a Somerville man by a Lynn police officer in November 2020 was justified, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
John Mellone, 39, was shot multiple times by Officer Nhen Tran after he attempted to rob a Revere Walgreens and was pursued by Revere Officer Leo MacAskill into Lynn. Mellone had trapped MacAskill between his own car and another parked on the street.
“At the time that Lynn Officer Nhen Tran fired his weapon at Mr. Mellone, he reasonably believed that Revere Officer Leo MacAskill was in imminent danger of serious injury or death,” said District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett in a statement. “Therefore, my office has determined that the force used by Officer Tran was lawful.”
According to the report, on Nov. 2, 2020 at approximately 8:07 a.m., Mellone attempted to rob the Revere Walgreens for prescription drugs, including opiates, Xanax and methadone. When a pharmacist called the police, Mellone fled in a silver BMW.
MacAskill began following a vehicle matching that description because of observed traffic violations. When Mellone, the driver, failed to stop for MacAskill and entered Lynn, the officer notified Lynn dispatch. Mellone eventually turned down Witt Street, a dead end, and did a three-point turn in a driveway at the end of the street to face back out into the street. MacAskill then blocked the car’s exit with his cruiser, the report said,
Tran, who was working a paid traffic detail nearby, saw the BMW and Revere cruiser go down Witt Street and went on foot to help, the report said.
MacAskill got out of his cruiser, drew his gun and told Mellone to get out of the BMW and that if he hit him with his car, he would shoot. When Tran arrived, he also drew his weapon and ordered Mellone to turn off the car and get out. Mellone did not comply with either officer’s commands, the report said.
Tran opened the driver’s side door of the BMW and attempted to remove Mellone from the car, but backed away when he couldn’t do so. MacAskill pepper sprayed Mellone, reaching his arm through the space between the open door and the frame of the car. Mellone then began to drive forward, trapping MacAskill’s arm in the closing door, and pinned the officer between the BMW and a car parked on the street, the report said.
Tran fired eight shots at Mellone when he began to drive forward. Mellone was pronounced dead at the scene. Two bullets were recovered during the autopsy. One bullet struck his heart and another pierced his jugular vein. A toxicology report also found amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine, fentanyl and methadone in his blood.
MacAskill suffered bruising and other internal injuries to his arm, ribs and thigh during the incident.
During the investigation, police learned that Mellone had also attempted to rob a Medford CVS at approximately 5:30 a.m. He had previously been incarcerated for three years after being convicted for three counts of unarmed robbery in 2013.
Following the investigation by the DA’s office, the matter will now be referred to the Lynn Police Department for any internal administrative review deemed appropriate.
