Contact: Nathan Lederman 508-584-8120
BROCKTON- A man was arraigned today on charges relating to a fatal incident last year where he is accused of striking a pedestrian in Brockton with his vehicle before repeatedly hitting him with a brick, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.
Vasco Semedo, 46, was arraigned in Plymouth Superior Court on charges of Murder, Assault with Intent to Murder, and three counts of Assault & Battery with a Deadly Weapon. Semedo pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being held without bail.
On the morning of April 6, 2024, Brockton Police received several 911 calls for reports of a motor vehicle versus pedestrian crash at 65 North Main Street. Upon arrival, Brockton Police located the driver — later identified as Semedo — being detained by witnesses at the scene. Officers also located the pedestrian, 50-year-old Stuart Smith, who was found unresponsive near the defendant’s vehicle. Smith was pronounced dead after being transported to Good Samaritan Hospital and subsequently med-flighted to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Semedo was arrested on scene. Through witness accounts and surveillance video footage, investigators found that Semedo — operating a Toyota Rav 4 — struck Smith with his vehicle, backed up and drove into the victim again before exiting the vehicle and repeatedly hitting the victim with a brick as he lay on the ground.
Assistant District Attorneys Daniel Higgins and John Bok are prosecuting this case. It was investigated by Brockton Police with assistance from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts State Police.
Semedo is next scheduled to appear in court on April 29 for a pretrial conference.