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Brockton Man Indicted On Murder Charge Related To 2024 Fatal Pedestrian Incident



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CONTACT: Nathan Lederman 508-584-8120

BROCKTON – A man was indicted 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 indicted by a grand jury in Plymouth County Superior Court on charges of Murder, Assault with Intent to Murder, and three counts of assault & battery with a deadly weapon. Semedo was arraigned on charges related to this incident in Brockton District Court days after his arrest and is being held without bail.  

At approximately 8:53 a.m. on 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 operator of the motor vehicle — later identified as Semedo — being detained by witnesses at the scene. Officers also located the male victim, 50-year-old Stuart Smith, who was found unresponsive near the defendant’s vehicle. Smith was pronounced deceased 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 will be arraigned in Superior Court at a later date.

JANUARY 28, 2025