The following police logs are from the Amherst Police Department from Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 to Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019.
Friday, Feb. 1, 2019
Traffic
9:59 a.m.: Police assisted with traffic at 100 Meadow St. while Massachusetts Department of Transportation fixed a twisted light at an intersection.
Assist Business/Agency
10:02 a.m.: A reporting party from Ernie’s Towing, 40 Montague Rd., reported one of their drivers pulled into the lot and noticed the driver for Amherst DPW with a listed vehicle. It appeared that once the operator saw the tow truck, they left the scene. The reporting party has the van on video, but the quality is not good enough to see what company the van belongs to. He relayed that the security gate was open at the time, as tow trucks were in and out. The reporting party spoke with someone from the water department who indicated he was checking out his nephew’s car after it was involved in a recent motor vehicle accident. The reporting party then spoke with the vehicle owner, who was not aware about a relative entering the vehicle but did not mind.
11:19 a.m.: The PVTA manager will be having a meeting with a driver regarding past issues with a bus, and requested an officer be in the area in case the person has an issue. An officer overlooked a conversation between the manager and the driver.
Motor Vehicle Crash
10:32 a.m.: A visitor to the Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave., reported an elderly male party in the lobby was looking for assistance; he stated he had struck a guardrail and curb in the lot in front of the building after pushing the gas pedal instead of the brake. DPW was notified about the guardrail.
12:48 p.m.: A reporting party came into the police station reporting a minor motor vehicle accident that occurred near 141 N. Pleasant St. involving the PVTA. The reporting party was advised that police would assist in contacting the PVTA and the driver of the bus. Police contacted the PVTA, they were aware of the incident and the driver of the bus was unable to determine the vehicle struck at the time. The PVTA will use their camera system and call if police assistance is needed. They were provided with the reporting party’s information.
4:53 p.m.: A 911 caller reported a motor vehicle crash by 739 N. Pleasant St. between a gray 2018 Subaru Forester and a white 2015 Toyota 4Runner. The vehicles were travelling west approaching a rotary on N. Pleasant Street. The Subaru began to slow down for pedestrians crossing the street. The operator of the Toyota failed to use care when stopping and struck the rear of the Subaru. Both vehicles sustained significant damage that appeared to be over $1,000. The Toyota was towed by Ernie’s Towing and the operator received a written citation for failing to use care when stopping.
8:31 p.m.: A 911 caller reported a crash involving a black 2017 BMW and a black 2011 Mazda CX7 with no personal injury. The Mazda was travelling west on Main Street and was slowing for traffic. The operator of the BMW was plugging in his cell phone and did not realize the Mazda was stopping and crashed into the rear. Both vehicles were towed, and the operator of the BMW was issued a citation.
Trespass
11:57 a.m.: A 911 call was received from an office at Jones Library, 43 Amity St., looking to trespass an involved party. The involved party had recently been causing disturbances and threatening staff. The person was in the building at the time of the call. She was not causing an issue, but the employee wanted her trespassed and removed. The involved party was issued a trespass notice and she was told she was not allowed back in the library for a year. The involved party said she was offended and felt she was being ostracized by the staff member. She said she was most likely going to go to Town Hall to voice her displeasure with the trespass notice.
Assist Citizen
2:10 p.m.: An officer assisted an elderly man who had fallen down on the front steps of the Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave. He had a cut on his knee, which was bandaged and wrapped in gauze. His wife was contacted and was going to take him to the AEIOU Urgent Care in Hadley.
3:53 p.m.: A 911 call was received from a 10-year-old female who had just arrived home from school and her mom wasn’t home at 154 Lincoln Ave. There may have been some confusion with the mother thinking the child was supposed to go to an after-school program and the daughter forgot and went home instead. An officer made contact with the mother, who made arrangements for her daughter to wait at a neighbor’s house until she got home.
9:27 p.m.: A resident of Apt. 35 at 165 Summer St. reported a man yelling from an apartment diagonal from her. She stated that he falls often and needs help getting up. An officer went to the apartment and was met by the man’s wife who stated he had fallen and needed a hand. They advised that he did not hit his head, lose consciousness or sustain any injuries. He was assisted and declined any medical attention.
9:33 p.m.: Police attempted to contact a listed party regarding emails she had received from her ex-husband. A message was left on her voicemail inquiring about their content and if the emails were threatening in nature.
Assist Motorist
6:48 p.m.: A reporting party called about a blue 2003 Acura being parked in their paid spot at 51 Boltwood Ave. The person was unable to find contact information for the registered owner of the vehicle. Police notified the reporting party that they would be issuing a written citation.
Assist Amherst Fire Department
9:26 p.m.: A 911 caller reported a flood coming from one of the upper levels at 22 Lessey St., Apt. 514. Water was coming from the ceiling on the fourth floor of the building. Maintenance was contacted and already en route. A resident was soaking a cloth in the bathroom sink and left it unattended. The sink was overflowing for some time. AFD and maintenance responded.
911 Hang Up
10:07 p.m.: Dispatch could hear someone say “Oh my God” in the background of a phone call before disconnecting. When dispatch called back, they spoke with the involved party who claimed everything was all set.
Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019
Traffic
1:09 a.m.: A reporting party advised police of what seemed to be an intoxicated man walking in the street attempting to flag down cars near 364 N. Pleasant St. The person was found by police on the side of the road, waiting for an Uber.
1:26 a.m.: Parking citations valued at $50 each were issued to three Ubers near Antonio’s Pizza at 31 N. Pleasant St. for obstructing northbound traffic and bike lanes on the road.
7:22 a.m.: A reporting party stated that a tractor-trailer unit had taken out the lights near the intersection at 1191 N. Pleasant St. They said they had video footage, but they were unsure if the license plate was visible in the video. The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority was contacted in order to attempt to identify the offending unit. The Amherst Department of Public Works was contacted, and the traffic pole was not a traffic hazard.
Motor Vehicle Stop
1:48 a.m.: A black 2014 Hyundai Elantra was stopped at 81 Belchertown Rd. as a random query showed the vehicle’s registered operator’s license was expired. Upon stopping the vehicle, the operator advised officers that he was not the registered operator of the car and that he did not have a valid driver’s license. The person was issued a summons on the charge of unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Assist Citizen
10:37 a.m.: A person came into APD at 111 Main St. to report that she was receiving emails from her estranged husband which she believed constituted a violation of a restraining order. An officer invited the person into an interview room to review the emails and determine if a violation occurred. The order was found to bar “abusive emails,” but did allow email contact. When asked to point out the “abusive” emails, the person stated that the sheer amount of emails she was receiving constituted a violation. An officer advised the person that though the emails are annoying, they should change the order to “no contact” if the person did not wish to be reached at all. The person became upset and walked out.
Motor Vehicle Crash
1:11 p.m.: A gray 1999 Ford Mustang drove off the side of the road at 438 E. Pleasant St. in order to avoid a rear end crash. No injuries were reported.
8:08 p.m.: A reporting party in a black 2016 Ford Explorer stated that they were rear-ended by a silver Jeep Cherokee at 785 Main St. The person is alleged to have left their vehicle and struck a person in the Ford before driving away. An area search yielded negative results.
Assist Motorist
2:34 p.m.: A reporting party stated that she was very upset about an interaction she had with another person in what appeared to be an incident of road rage at the Speedway located at 468 West St.
Larceny
2:47 p.m.: A reporting party stated someone had stolen their packages that were left in the doorway at 266 E. Hadley Rd. There are no suspects and an incident report was filed.
Disabled Motor Vehicle
4:13 p.m.: Police were advised of a disabled 2012 Kia by the Notch Visitors Center at 1500 West St. It appeared that the vehicle slid off the roadway and into the snow, where officers were able to shovel the snow and push the vehicle back onto the roadway.
Suspicious
4:32 p.m.: A reporting party stated that they had found their door open with lights on inside at 1001 S. East St. The building was checked, and no one was located. There were no signs of forced entry and officers secured the building.
Disturbance
7:47 p.m.: A reporting party advised police that he wanted an officer to respond immediately to the bus stop at 164 N. Pleasant St. before “all hell breaks loose” when the bus arrives at the stop. The person claimed that the bus nearly hit them and he was very upset. The person has an appointment with the PVTA about previous incidents.
911 Hang Up
8:32 p.m.: Initially a 911 hang up where a female could be heard shouting at the beginning followed by the call disconnecting at 17 Coach Ln. On a second call back, an 11-year-old answered and said nothing was wrong. An adult was given the phone and a female stated that her husband was threatening to do something unspecified and was shouting when he arrived home. The person is believed to have been drinking. It was determined that the wife felt safe and that she should call APD in the event of anything else happening.
Fraud
9:17 p.m.: A reporting party located at 89 Potwine Ln. stated that they wanted to report fraudulent activity in regard to a charge of $603.99 that was made in New Mexico at an Apple store. According to the reporting party, there had been multiple other attempts to charge items to that account, though they had each been declined. Verizon credited their account and the party was told to contact their bank and advise them of the fraudulent activity.
Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019
Motor Vehicle Stop
12:20 a.m.: Dispatch received a call from 627 N. Pleasant St. regarding blinding auxiliary lighting on a gray 2016 Jeep Renegade. Upon locating the vehicle, an officer initiated a stop and advised the operator that his auxiliary lights were prohibited and that he should leave them off.
12:46 a.m.: The operator of a gray 2014 Mazda SE was stopped at 67 Northampton Rd. and issued a verbal warning.
2:06 a.m.: A warning was issued at 163 Sunderland Rd. to the operator of a blue 2007 Toyota Sienna. No impairment was detected.
Assist Business/Agency
12:30 a.m.: Northampton Police Department warned to be on the lookout for a gray sedan with heavy front-end damage last seen on 91 heading southbound. The information was provided to patrol units.
Disturbance
12:49 a.m.: An officer reported a disturbance at The Spoke, 35 E. Pleasant St., but then called it off. There was some sort of altercation between two doormen and two patrons that was occurring while the officer was attempting to clear cars out of the road on Pray Street. By the time an officer got to them, the altercation was over and the parties were dispersed. Staff stated they were all set.
5:44 p.m.: A reporting party stated an involved party at 80 Belchertown Rd., Apt. 69 was becoming verbally aggressive toward her and was refusing to leave. The involved party left the apartment upon the officer’s arrival and reporting party’s requests. The person was told not to return.
10:23 p.m.: Two 20-year-old males were arrested at 50 Meadow St. after police dispersed a crowd around a couch fire. One was arrested for disorderly conduct and assault and battery on ambulance personnel. The other was arrested for disorderly conduct.
Traffic
12:51 a.m.: A gray 2017 Hyundai Tucson was parked on N. Prospect Street and Hallock Street between signs reading “Tow Away Zone No Parking Between Signs.” The listed vehicle was issued a parking citation for being in the tow zone. Ernie’s was contacted for towing, but the operator showed up to move the vehicle. The person was given the citation in hand and was advised his license was expired and there are consequences for driving with it.
12:55 a.m.: An officer was out with three vehicles that were obstructing traffic by 33 E. Pleasant St. Parking enforcement in the area was due to six to eight Ubers parked on the street obstructing traffic. Three parking tickets were issued, and other vehicles were moved along.
11:14 p.m.: A reporting party at 353 Main St. reported a racoon possibly suffering in the middle of the road. The animal was gone upon police arrival.
Assist Citizen
12:56 p.m.: A reporting party at 26 Chestnut Ct. was upset their neighbor would not walk her cat back to her apartment. The woman was experiencing erratic emotions due to mental health issues. She was offered services but declined them. The officer contacted her son to make him aware of the situation. She isn’t a danger to herself or others.
Motor Vehicle Crash
2:07 p.m.: A gray 2013 Ford Fusion and a brown 2008 Toyota Camry were involved in a crash at 40 Belchertown Rd. No injuries were reported.
3:31 p.m.: A reporting party reported she thought her car was damaged on Thursday evening while parked in the area of 85 Amity St. A gouge was left on the driver’s side rear door of the black 2012 Honda Fit. Damage was discovered the next day while at her home in Hadley. She was reporting the incident at the request of her insurance company.
Noise Complaint
12:01 a.m.: A reporting party at 81 Belchertown Rd. stated that they could hear loud music and singing coming from a close apartment. The originating noise was located and turned down.
4:24 p.m.: A reporting party stated 702 Main St. was having a loud party outside. The loud music from an outdoor speaker was turned off immediately upon police arrival. Residents were advised to take their friends inside and shut off the music for the night. A warning was issued.
Motor Vehicle Complaint
5:53 p.m.: A reporting party reported a black 2000 Mazda Wagon was unable to stay in the marked lanes, going under and over the speed limit by 100 Meadow St. The vehicle was headed into Hadley and the Hadley Police Department were noticed.
Assist Amherst Fire Department
A couch and other items were set on fire in the center of the east quad at the Townehouses, 50 Meadow St. The crowd immediately dispersed as police arrived, besides two individuals who were later arrested. An officer emptied two fire extinguishers on the fire before AFD put the fire out.
Suspicious
11:04 p.m.: Loud banging on the back cellar door at 81 Spaulding St. was heard for five minutes. An officer checked the area of concern. No signs in the snow of anyone or anything being near the rear of the residence.
11:19 p.m.: Fireworks were heard in the area of 642 Main St. – unsure where they are coming from. No fireworks or anything similar were found in the area upon police arrival.
11:26 p.m.: Two males were seen throwing snowballs near 739 N. Pleasant St. near vehicles. They were gone upon police arrival.
Michael Connors can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @mikepconnors. Hayley Johnson can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @hayleyk_johnson.
