About 20 people were arrested or issued summons over the weekend in the town of Amherst – a large decrease from the amount of arrests and summons that were handed down during the previous weekend – according to town police logs.
The inclement weather along with a short-staffed force were contributing factors to the lower number of calls when compared to the previous weekend – when police arrested or issued summons to over 100 people – according to Amherst Police Detective David Foster.
“It was a typical fall weekend,” said Foster at a media briefing yesterday morning. “The weather was certainly our friend.”
But, even so, police did still respond to a few gatherings in town over the weekend and take some residents into custody.
Police responded to one gathering at 694 Main St. early Saturday where 30 to 40 people were on the porch of the residence consuming alcohol and making noise, according to police narrative. After police noted of a noise complaint issued by a nearby neighbor, the narrative states, one of those who gathered told officers that the neighbors should realize that Amherst is a college town.
During the response to the residence, police issued a summons related to violating the town’s unlawful noise bylaw to 21-year-old Elan Katz of Wantagh, N.Y. – who is believed to be the person who told the officers that neighbors should realize they live in a college town.
A few hours after issuing the summons, police responded to the residence again about 2:30 a.m. Saturday and arrested Katz and 21-year-old Daniel Schiatta of Kendall Park, N.J. on charges of violating the unlawful noise bylaw.
During another incident over the weekend, two 18-year-olds were arrested after reportedly attempting to climb under a moving train. William Zannoni, of Dracut, was arrested during that incident on charges of trespassing on railroad tracks, being in possession of alcohol while under the legal age, possessing a fake ID and possessing marijuana. Madelyn Folger, of South Berwick, Maine, was also arrested during that incident on charges of trespassing on railroad tracks.
Police over the weekend also issued for summons of violating the town’s unlawful noise bylaw to five people at a gathering at 96 Montague Road, in addition to arresting and issuing summons to motorists and a few other people at gatherings.
At the University of Massachusetts, police over the weekend arrested two people – 19-year-old Lyndzey Tefft of Shrewsbury and 20-year-old Kevin Greene of Worcester – on charges of disorderly conduct during a reported domestic disturbance at the John Quincy Adams dormitory late Saturday, according to University police logs.
UMass Police also arrested 17-year-old Michael Mientka on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest outside of the Kennedy dormitory early Sunday. Late Sunday they arrested 23-year-old Douglas Morrissette of Granby during a traffic stop on charges of carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds.
UMass Police also arrested a few people over the weekend on charges of being in possession of alcohol while underage, according to the logs.
– Collegian News Staff
