Search ongoing for man accused of pointing gun at mail carrier, ditching car in Tewksbury

TEWKSBURY, Mass. — Police in Tewksbury are searching for a masked man who allegedly pointed a gun at a United States Postal Service mail carrier before he abandoned his car and ran off into the woods on Tuesday morning.

There is a large police presence in the area of Chandler Street and Euclid Road amid the ongoing search for the suspect, who fled from his vehicle on Tomahawk Drive near Pocahontas Road and disappeared into a wooded area just after 11 a.m., according to the Tewksbury Police Department.

“Please stay clear of the area,” police warned the public in a Facebook post.

The mail carrier told officers that the suspect pointed a gun at him in the area of 483 Shawsheen Street and then took off at a high rate of speed, according to police. It wasn’t immediately clear what led up to the reported confrontation.

Officers spotted the vehicle speeding on Whipple Street and followed the driver to the area of Tomahawk Drive, where the suspect bailed on foot.

The suspect, last seen by a witness on Nightengale Lane, is described as a black male, possibly in his late teens or early 20s, wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt and mask.

Shortly before 2 p.m., police confirmed that a handgun was recovered behind a home on the nearby Grasshopper Lane, but the suspect remained on the run.

A Boston 25 News photographer spotted heavily armed officers and K9 teams sweeping the area for the suspect, whose car has since been towed away from the scene.

The Massachusetts State Police Airwing, Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council SWAT Team, drones, and K9s are assisting Tewksbury police with the search.

Police initially said they were investigating the incident as a case of road rage.

There were no additional details immediately available.

Anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts is urged to contact Tewksbury police at 978-851-7373.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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