Suspect in Auburn Cop Shooting Dead, Trooper Recovering

Zambrano Photo via Mass. State Police, Tarentino Photo via Facebook

An Auburn police officer was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop early Sunday morning, setting off a daylong manhunt that left the suspect dead and a state trooper recovering from a gunshot wound.

Police say Jorge Zambrano, 35, of Worcester, shot Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr, 43, around 12:30 a.m. before fleeing the scene. Tarentino, a father of three, was taken to UMass Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Zambrano was later found taking shelter in a duplex in nearby Oxford, where police say he shot a state trooper in the shoulder. After trying to flush him out of the duplex with tear gas and police dogs, police fatally shot Zambrano in a firefight.

The unidentified trooper, a 18-year veteran of the State Police and a former U.S. Navy Seal, underwent surgery at UMass Medical Center.

Tarentino was a member of Auburn police for two years after transferring from Leicester. His body was taken to a Boston medical examiner before returning to a Leicester funeral home Sunday afternoon. He was the last Auburn police officer to die in the line of duty in 30 years.

Unbelievable. Auburn Officers give the media donuts during their time of mourning, to say "thanks" #wcvb pic.twitter.com/aYA213MAJ2

— Frank Holland (@FrankCNBC) May 23, 2016

In the aftermath, Auburn police gave members of the media boxes of doughnuts, while Gov. Charlie Baker ordered the state’s flags lowered to half-mast. Auburn police have encouraged donating to the Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr. Memorial Fund to aide his wife and children.