Man, 31, died in Heritage Hill Drive shootout with Lakeville Police

LAKEVILLE – A 31-year-old man wielding a firearm was fatally shot by Lakeville Police officers during a shootout at 8 Heritage Hill Dr. on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The victim, who was identified as Gregory Buckley, was “disturbed and acting erratically” and pointing a firearm at the officers, according to a statement from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.

One of Buckley’s family members requested a well-being check from the Lakeville Police Department at 1:58 p.m. on Sept. 26, the statement said.

When the officers arrived, they found Buckley in a second-floor bedroom pointing a gun at them. Buckley refused to drop his weapon, and he and the officers began shooting at each other. 

Buckley was shot during the exchange. Police performed first aid on him, and he was then transported to Morton Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the statement said.

Four Lakeville Police officers were released from Morton Hospital after evaluations, the statement said.

There is no ongoing threat to the public, according to a statement from the Lakeville Police Department.

Massachusetts State Police detectives are currently investigating the incident with the District Attorney’s Office.

Police officers barricaded part of Heritage Hill Drive during the response.

The street was quiet on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 27. Multiple neighbors around 8 Heritage Hill Dr. said they did not know what was happening at the time, and couldn't provide authorities with much information.

Crime scene cleaners Trauma Services were working inside the house on Sept. 27. A neighbor said the family had left the house last night after the incident.

Buckley had previously been arrested by New Bedford Police in 2018 for operating under the influence.

The incident occurred almost exactly three years after Lakeville and Massachusetts State Police officers shot and injured Lakeville resident Timothy Hladik on Sept. 29, 2023.

Hladik was armed with a replica gun and approached a Lakeville Police officer who was monitoring traffic near the intersection of Precinct and Pickens streets and displayed "what appeared to be a handgun," officials said at the time.

A State Police trooper joined the scene. After Hladik raised his weapon, both officers shot at the suspect due to fears of their safety, officials said. Hladik survived the shooting.