Framingham May Formally Apologize To Eurie Stamps Family

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Almost a decade later, Framingham may officially apologize for the 2011 police shooting death of Eurie Stamps.

Framingham District 9 City Councilor Tracey Bryant has requested a vote on a short apology letter addressed to Eurie Stamps' widow, Norma. If approved, the letter would be signed by the entire City Council.

The letter reads:

On behalf of the people of Framingham, we write to express to you, the Stamps family and friends, the City's sincere and heartfelt apologies for the untimely and tragic death of your husband, Eurie A. Stamps, Sr.

In memory of your late husband, we commit ourselves and City resources to eradicating racial, economic and all forms of injustice; and fostering equal treatment for all in Framingham.

There has been renewed interest in Stamps' killing this summer following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many other Black people killed or injured by police. The group #JusticeForEurie began holding protests this summer to get officials to reexamine Stamps' death.

On Aug. 19, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan confirmed to Patch her office is looking at the previous investigation into Stamps' death, which did not result in any criminal charges.

Stamps, 68, died in January 2011 when the SWAT team raided his home looking for Stamps' stepson in connection to a drug investigation. Stamps, a retired MBTA employee and grandfather, was watching a Celtics game when police burst into his home. Police ordered him onto the ground, and Stamps was lying on his stomach when officer Paul Duncan apparently tripped and fired the fatal shot from his rifle.

Former Middlesex DA Gerard Leone, who left office in 2013, investigated the death in 2011, but ruled it accidental.

In the wake of Stamps' killing, Framingham disbanded its SWAT team. The Stamps family also sued the city, winning a $3.75 million settlement in 2016 in federal court.

"The focus of the family's lawsuit was that the officer who shot Stamps violated his civil rights, protected by the U.S. Constitution, by recklessly handling his rifle in direct violation of his training and clear department policies," Stamps family Anthony Tarricone said in 2016.