Politics & Government

REPORTS: Middlesex County Deputy Sheriff Died from Self-Inflicted Gunshot Prior to Crash

The incident occurred at about 4 a.m. Wednesday on Treble Cove Road in Billerica.

The Middlesex County deputy sheriff after an early-morning, single-car crash in Billerica Wednesday died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, according to the Lowell Sun.

How and why Dillon shot himself remains unclear. A spokesperson for the Middlesex Sheriff's office said the situation is still under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police and the department would not comment on the cause of death at this time. 

"At this point we’re not commenting on any reports or reporting beyond what we’ve offically put out in our statement," the spokesperson said.

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 The Middlesex County District Attorney’s office has only said that his death was not suspicious and no charges are being filed. 

The Middlesex County Sheriff’s office has identified the deputy as Edward “Teddy” Dillon III, 27, of Lowell. Dillon was a 2002 Dracut High School graduate and a 2007 graduate of UMass Lowell, where he received a B.A. in Criminal Justice. He had been a member of the 34th Basic Training Academy in 2008.

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Dillon’s police cruiser, which sustained heavy front-end damage, was found at 4 a.m. on Treble Cove Road in Billerica. He was on duty at the time of the incident.

Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian released the following statement about Dillon's death:

"My thoughts and prayers, as well as those of the entire Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, go out to Officer Dillon’s family, friends and colleagues. We know the work of correction officers is difficult and dangerous, but that does nothing to ease the pain and shock when we lose one of our own. The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office will work to ensure that our officers and the Dillon family have the support they need as we grieve Teddy’s passing."


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