(Brett Roderick)

An off duty Duxbury police officer prevented a home invasion Monday night when a masked man wielding a handgun pounded on his Deerpath Trail Home, demanding to be let in.

According to Assistant District Attorney Douglas Humphrey, the suspect, Brett Trevor Roderick, 19, approached the home at 10:45 p.m. wearing a hooded sweatshirt and mask, while wielding a semi-automatic handgun, and said, “Hurry up let me in it’s cold.” The residents of the house said Roderick appeared to try to disguise his voice.

When Duxbury Police responded to a 911 call from the police officer’s wife, one of the responding officers spotted a suspect on Temple Street near the overpass and ordered the suspect to stop multiple times, but the suspect fled. Three other officers responded, including a K9 unit, and gave chase through the woods.

“The individual went into a sprint into the woodson the other side of the overpass,” said Duxbury police Chief Matthew Clancy. “The sergeant and K9 went into the woods and about 20 – 30 feet ahead of them, behind the house, deep into the woods where it was pitch black, they saw both the muzzle flash and heard the sound of gunfire. They all hit the ground.”

Once shots were fired at the police, the sergeant called for his officers to evacuate the area and set up a perimeter. Called in to aid the DPD were police from Marshfield and Pembroke, State Police and a SWAT team. Over 100 state and local police responded.

Led by Clancy, a command post was set up and a perimeter secured. Working with the DPD, State Trooper Allison Powell apprehended Roderick at approximately 2 a.m. in a cranberry bog off of Route 3. He was then transported to DPD for processing.

Deepath Trail resident Becky Chin said she received a robocall from Duxbury Police at midnight warning her to lock her doors.

“The first call came in from the police a little before midnight saying it was in the Temple Street area,” said Chin. “I wish it had been more specific, we would have set up our alarm system. The person must have known the area, there are a lot of fire trails in the woods behind the neighborhood connecting the streets.  I have lived in the neighborhood since 1977. It’s really scary.” 

A follow-up call was made to residents after 2 a.m. notifying them a suspect was in custody. A Highland Trail resident said she took every precaution when she received the initial call.

“I was awake and watching TV when call came in,” said Amy McWilliams. “It was very unnerving. I looked on WATD Web site and saw that it was in the Duxborough Trail area, which made me even more nervous because that is the street directly behind my house. I closed my garage door and made sure all the doors were locked. It made me realize I have to be more diligent about keeping my house secure. I went to bed and was very relieved to receive the second call that he had been apprehended. It makes you appreciate the job that the police do.”

Roderick was arraigned at Plymouth District Court on Tuesday and charged with three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault with intent to murder, illegal possession of a firearm and disorderly conduct. An Oklahoma resident, Roderick had a warrant issued for his arrest there for a probation violation. In 2009, he was sentenced to fifteen years for armed home invasion and was released in November 2011 after serving two years.

Plymouth District Court Judge Brian Gilligan held Roderick without bail and ordered a dangerousness hearing for Friday. Upon leaving the courtroom, Roderick blew a kiss to the crowd.

Roderick’s mother Valerie Aho was at the arraignment with husband Robert Aho. Roderick is the youngest of her three children.

“In my heart, I don’t believe it, he’s my baby,” said Aho. “He’s not dangerous, he’s not a fighter.”

According to Aho, Roderick was in Pembroke for the funeral of his cousin and was attempting to meet up with another cousin who lives in Duxbury, in the vicinity of where the armed home invasion allegedly took place. Aho said that in addition to his conviction for armed home invasion, Roderick was arrested as a juvenile “a couple of times” for marijuana possession.

On Tuesday, Pembroke Police executed a search warrant at a Pembroke residence after Roderick implicated another man as a co-conspirator. Police found no evidence to support Roderick’s claim.

At the arraignment, Humphrey said the party from Pembroke told police he had not seen Roderick in three years and had not been with him that night.

Duxbury Police, along with local and state officers, continued to search the Temple Street area on foot and managed to locate the gun believed to be used in the alleged home invasion.

“We recovered the gun about 25 feet from where (Roderick) was apprehended,” said Clancy. “It will be swabbed for DNA and checked for fingerprints.”

Clancy said police will continue to scour the area for evidence, including the mask and shell casings.

While at this early point it appears the the off-duty police officer was not specifically targeted and police don’t believe there are other suspects, the investigation is ongoing.

“We’re extremely fortunate we’re not faced with a tragedy here today,” said Clancy. “It worked out the way it’s supposed to work out.”

Susanna Sheehan contributed to this story.