The following police logs are from the Amherst Police Department from Friday, Feb. 21 to Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020.
Friday, Feb. 21
Motor Vehicle Crash
11:02 a.m.: At 575 Station Rd., a reporting party stated that his mailbox appeared to have been struck by a vehicle overnight. A small amount of red lens glass was left behind. It appeared that someone had backed into the mailbox and broken the rear glass of their vehicle. The mailbox was intact and there were no suspects.
11:56 a.m.: At 51 Boltwood Walk, a reporting party stated he struck an electronic box with his gray 2015 Toyota RAV4 in the parking lot behind the parking garage. The reporting party stated there were no sparks and he did not know if he did any damage. An electrical inspector was contacted and Eversource was able to return the electric box to its foundation.
3:58 p.m.: At 22 High St., a reporting party stated that his vehicle, a gray 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, was struck while parked. The passenger’s side of the vehicle where the front and rear passenger doors meet was struck, leaving gauges. The suspect vehicle was possibly white but was unknown. The reporting party was advised to call back if the vehicle returned as there were no cameras on the property and the vehicles on the property did not have damage consistent with the victim’s vehicle.
7:33 p.m.: At 362 College St., a reporting party stated that her vehicle, a gray 2013 Nissan Rogue, was struck by a gray Honda Civic. The Civic did not stop and continued westbound on route 9. The Nissan was stopped at a red light at the intersection of South East Street and College Street and intended to proceed through the intersection. While stationary, the Nissan was rear ended by the Civic. The Civic then reversed a few feet, passed the Nissan on the left and proceeded to take a right onto College Street. There were no injuries and there was a large scratch on the rear bumper of the Nissan.
Assist Motorist
11:06 a.m.: A reporting party claimed that Ernie’s Towing at 40 Montague Rd. damaged his vehicle, a gray 2015 BMW, after towing it off the University of Massachusetts campus. He stated that four scratches and a broken gas cap appeared when he picked it up from the lot a week later. An involved party wanted the incident to be documented.
Motor Vehicle Complaint
11:09 a.m.: A reporting party stated that a red 2013 Nissan Rogue had run a red light and ended up on the opposite side of the road. The reporting party stated that the vehicle stopped at Amherst Pilates at 13 Railroad St. The operator was described as a blonde female.
911 Hang Up
11:45 a.m.: An accidental misdial took place at 86 Gray St. There was a busy signal upon callback. APD spoke with the caller who stated he was trying to dial his message service.
Community Policing
1:01 p.m.: At Puffton Village Office at 1040 North Pleasant St., APD conducted a follow up and discussed offering mental health awareness training for property management.
1:27 p.m.: APD contacted the property owner at 45 Phillips St. regarding the exterior condition of his property. He stated he would contact the tenants.
1:55 p.m.: At Bartlett Hall at UMass at 130 Hicks Way, APD met with the Interfraternity Council president to review a previous pledge. APD also met with the new house director of Pi Kappa Phi.
Traffic
4: 23 p.m.: A reporting party at 36 Chestnut St. stated that there were two vehicles parked in handicap spots. The vehicles were a black 2012 Toyota Venza and a gray 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
8:31 p.m.: At 785 Main St., an individual was riding his bicycle in the middle of the eastbound lane without any lights. The individual was stopped and advised to stay far to the right for safety.
11:59 p.m.: A reporting party at 389 North Pleasant St. stated that a male party was walking in the middle of the street. The involved party was gone on arrival.
Motor Vehicle Stop
7:53 p.m.: At 739 North Pleasant St., a black 2013 Toyota Corolla was stopped. The operator was issued a verbal warning.
7:57 p.m.: A gray 2004 Honda Civic was stopped at 277 East Pleasant St. for not having a front plate. The operator was issued a verbal warning.
8:01 p.m.: APD attempted to stop a black 2013 Honda Civic near 149 East Pleasant St. north of the water towers for operating without lights. The vehicle pulled over and stopped before taking off again at about 20 miles per hour. The vehicle stopped again north of Chestnut Street. Upon stopping, the vehicle was observed to be creeping forward and was shifting between reverse and drive. The officer was unsure if the vehicle was going to flee again and the operator was ordered from the vehicle. The operator and vehicle were frisked for weapons. The operator was found to be very confused about what to do when pulled over by police. He was not impaired in any way. He was issued a verbal warning and advised to pull over and stop when emergency lights are on behind him.
9:08 p.m.: A blue 2008 Toyota Corolla was stopped at 227 Main St. for a defective driver’s side brake light. A verbal warning was issued to the operator.
9:32 p.m.: At 81 Belchertown Rd., a blue 2019 Nissan Sentra was operating with their high beams illuminated. The operator advised that she just bought the vehicle and was unsure how to operate the headlights. She was advised on how to control the high beams and was issued a verbal warning.
9:41 p.m.: At 258 Triangle St., a reporting party stated there was a gray 2005 Toyota Highlander driving erratically. The Toyota was allegedly riding in both lanes and passing illegally. The vehicle was located, and the operator was issued a verbal warning for violation of marked lanes.
Motor Vehicle Complaint
9:06 p.m.: At 422 Belchertown Rd., a reporting party stated that an erratic operator was driving around the complex and over lawns. The only vehicle description she could provide was that it was a sedan. APD was unable to locate the vehicle.
Assist Other Police Department
11:44 p.m.: A “be on the lookout” was issued from Hadley for a sedan with heavy front-end damage. The vehicle had left the scene of a motor vehicle crash of Rt. 116 northbound five minutes earlier.
Saturday, Feb. 22
Motor Vehicle Stop
12:23 a.m.: At 25 Lincoln Ave., a verbal warning was issued to the operator of a blue 2006 Subaru Tribeca for not having a license. The operator’s license number out of Tennessee was valid and no enforcement action was taken.
12:52 a.m.: At 81 Belchertown Rd., a red 2013 Mini Cooper was stopped for traveling 40 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone. A verbal warning was issued to the operator.
Assist Amherst Fire Department
12:32 a.m.: While responding to a call next door to 11 Phillips St., APD heard the fire alarm sounding at the location. Residents were cleared out and AFD checked the residence. The cause of the alarms was from the pull station located on the third floor, which was accidently pulled. It was a false alarm.
Suspicious
12:46 a.m.: At 5 Pray St., a reporting party stated that there was a male party laying on the ground. It was unknown what the problem was, and he was reported to have a large knife by his side. AFD was requested. The male party had a sheath but no knife. He was extremely intoxicated and was transported by ambulance to Cooley Dickinson by the Northampton Fire Department.
2:02 a.m.: A reporting party at 85 Cowls Rd. stated that a white male with a teal shirt and gray pants who was about 30 years old and had a bald or shaved head was trying to get into the North Square Apartments building. He was stated to be in the back entrance between two doors and kept falling down. The man was located inside the vestibule lying next to a pile of vomit. The individual was intoxicated and advised he resided in one of the apartments but did not have keys. As APD was talking to the man, two sober friends arrived to pick him up as they realized he could not find the keys. The friends confirmed that he lived there but took the man to stay with them for the night. Dispatch was advised to contact the apartment manager about the vomit.
3:06 p.m.: A reporting party contacted APD when she hadn’t heard from her best friend who had left with her boyfriend the previous night. The boyfriend was contacted, and he didn’t know where the best friend was. She was located at 598 South Pleasant St. and was fine.
Liquor Law Violation
12:53 a.m.: While responding to a different call, an APD officer observed an individual walking with a Bud Light aluminum bottle in his hand near 5 Pray St. The individual continued walking and then dropped the bottle on the ground. The officer advised the individual to stop walking and talk to APD and the individual complied, picked up the bottle and threw it away. APD advised the individual of open container bylaws and a verbal warning was issued.
Noise Complaint
1:04 a.m.: At 221 Pelham Rd., a reporting party stated there was loud music. No music was heard on arrival, but a few people were inside talking. The resident was advised of the complaint and was cooperative. Town bylaws were explained, and a verbal warning was issued.
2:55 a.m.: At 1040 North Pleasant St., a loud party was reported with people outside yelling. The party was cleared out and the music was turned off. The involved parties were advised of town bylaws and a verbal warning was issued.
1:52 p.m.: A teacher at the Isenberg school reported loud music coming from the fraternities on North Pleasant. The music was found to be coming from Phi Sigma Kappa and Theta Chi, located at 510 and 496 North Pleasant St. respectively. The music was turned down and all parties were cooperative. They were playing football and grilling.
3:26 p.m.: At 328 Lincoln Ave., loud music was coming from the backyard. Residents were advised of town bylaws and were issued a warning. They were also informed of Party Smart registration.
5:28 p.m.: A reporting party advised of loud music coming from either 118 Sunset Ave., where there was an unregistered party at Alpha Tau Gamma, or from a registered party at 138 Sunset Ave. The claims were unfounded as there was no noise at either location.
Assist Other Police Department
8:00 a.m.: A “be on the lookout” was issued out of Northampton for a gray 2013 Chevrolet 200 which had been involved in another incident 15 minutes earlier. The notice was cancelled at 8:57 a.m.
911 Hang Up
9:51 p.m.: At 322 College St., an employee accidentally dialed 911.
Assist Citizen
11:55 a.m.: A reporting party at Chestnut Apartments at 6 Chestnut St. stated that she had locked herself out of the bathroom. She was in a panic because the cat was in the bathroom and she left water running in the sink. A locksmith was contacted. The water was draining, and the cat was not in distress.
4:34 p.m.: At 85 Fearing St., a reporting party called to have it documented that students cut through his yard from Lincoln Avenue. There was no damage to his property and the reporting party did not want to see an officer.
6:34 p.m.: A party and his friend were lost in the woods. They gave their last known coordinates. A park ranger was contacted at 6:35 p.m. for help locating the hikers who were on the M&M trail east of the quarry. The ranger would call the hikers directly. The ranger estimated the hikers were about 3,000 feet east of the visitor’s center. He took a quad bike to get the hikers as the trail was icy and he did not want them walking out on their own.
Motor Vehicle Crash
1:36 p.m.: At 40 Orchard St., a gray 2017 Volkswagen Jetta was reportedly struck by a large, white pickup with a chrome bumper. The Volkswagen was parked on the opposite side of the street in an angled parking space facing the grass. The other vehicle attempted to back out and the pickup’s rear bumper impacted the Volkswagen’s driver’s side rear quarter panel. The operator of the Volkswagen, who came into the APD station to report the incident, was unable to provide the license plate number of the other vehicle.
Disturbance
3:44 p.m.: At 266 East Hadley Rd., a reporting party stated there was an Asian male in a green winter jacket who was banging on her door and “giving her attitude.” The reporting party stated it was her downstairs neighbor and it was apparently a noise issue between the two. Officers spoke with the downstairs neighbor about protocol for noise complaints.
Disabled Motor Vehicle
5:50 p.m.: A gray 2007 Mazda CX-7 was disabled on the southbound side of Rt. 116 near the Sunderland town line. APD remained with the vehicle until Ernie’s arrived to tow it. The passengers were transported to Walmart in Hadley.
10:07 p.m.: A white Nissan, possibly disabled, was reported in the area of Rail Road Bridge on Snell Street. An officer spoke with the operator who advised he had hit a pothole and was just about finished changing his tire.
Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020
Noise Complaint
1:07 a.m.: A resident at 266 East Hadley Rd. stated that his upstairs neighbor was purposely stomping and walking loudly on her floor (his ceiling) and disturbing him. The two parties appeared to be having noise issues as this was the second call from the residence this weekend. The stomping party does have two children, but the caller did not believe the noise was from them. The caller also stated that the stomper did contact APD officers a day prior after the caller was banging on her door. The caller was advised of the noise complaint process. During the call, the noise stopped, but the caller wanted the complaint documented. The caller was advised to contact APD again if the noise continues and officers will deal with it accordingly.
2:36 p.m.: Loud music was reported from a Puffton apartment. The resident was playing music at a very reasonable level for the time of day and this did not amount to a violation. The officer advised the resident of the complaint and he stated he would turn the music down to keep the neighbor happy. The reporting party called back after the situation was cleared. The officer spoke with her via phone and advised her that the noise was not a violation. She felt that it was a violation simply because she could hear it. The officer informed her that hearing things from other apartments when she lives in an apartment complex is to be expected from time to time and does not always constitute a violation. The officer told her that the resident could not be forced to turn the music down, but that she was free to chat with him on her own to try and work it out.
11:37 p.m.: A party on Phillips Street stated that the house across the street was having a party with loud yelling. Yelling was heard upon arrival. Residents were spoken to and advised of the town bylaws for noise and nuisance in addition to being explained the Party Smart registration. The situation was cleared for a priority call.
Traffic
1:13 a.m.: At the intersection Nutting Avenue and Fearing Street, a blue 2012 Nissan Murano was parked in violation of a tow zone and was issued a parking citation.
8:10 p.m.: A male party was reported riding down the middle of Shumway Street on a bike. The party was gone upon arrival, however it was most likely someone APD is familiar with. He had been spoken to about the same issue two days prior.
Disturbance
1:27 a.m.: At 203 Northampton Rd., two males were observed fighting in the front yard and a gray 2009 Honda Civic was parked half on the grass and half in the roadway obstructing traffic. The two male roommates waiting for an Uber and were “messing around.” The resident of the house was identified and advised of the issues. The vehicles were moved, and the two males were picked up by an Uber.
Suspicious Motor Vehicle
1:47 a.m.: A gray 2009 Nissan Maxima was parked in the area of Puffers Pond, backed in and in the opposite direction of the road. The vehicle was cold and frosted over, and there were cigarette butts all over the seats. No one was found in the area.
Assist Citizen
8:11 a.m.: A reporting party believed his gray 2010 Nissan Versa had been stolen sometime in the night from Cowls Road. The party stated that he parked his car behind the Mill Complex and stayed with his friends in their apartment. The party became extremely intoxicated and passed out on his friends’ couch. He did not leave the complex at all overnight. An officer located the vehicle near the Mill parked parallel against the fence and contacted one of the friends, who advised that someone had moved the car so that it would not get towed. The vehicle was not stolen, the reporting party just could not locate the vehicle after it was moved.
Citizen Transport
8:34 a.m.: The involved party from the above incident was transported back to his residence on Cowls Road.
Motor Vehicle Crash
11:25 a.m.: A black 2011 Nissan Murano was backing out of a parking space at Cumberland Farms, 35 Belchertown Rd., and struck a white 2016 Toyota Camry as it was passing behind. No injuries were reported. There was minor damage to the vehicles and information was exchanged.
2:24 p.m.: A green 2002 Toyota Tacoma and a black 2009 Infiniti G37X were travelling westbound on Northampton Road. Both vehicles stopped at the stop light, and the Infiniti was stopped behind the Toyota and let off the brake pedal, rolling into the rear bumper of the Toyota. The Toyota had a rusted bumper prior to the accident. It did not appear that there was new damage to the Toyota. The Infiniti had a slight dent on the front bumper. The damage was estimated to be under $1,000. There were no injuries.
Suspicious
11:33 a.m.: On East Leverett Road, a reporting party said he could hear his neighbor shooting his pistol in the yard. The party did not believe his neighbor had enough property to legally shoot in his yard. Upon officer arrival, the resident who was reportedly shooting did pull an ear plug from his right ear. He then stated he had not heard anything and said that it was not him. The license plate of the car in the driveway was run for firearm licenses, and the check came back positive. Officers advised the resident of legalities in firing a firearm on certain property (500 feet from any dwelling, 50 feet from a roadway). An officer spoke to the reporting party, who stated that when they go into the woods that leads towards the property on East Leverett Road, they have seen and heard the resident fire two shots in his backyard. Officers came to the conclusion that the shots did come from the resident of the East Leverett Road residence. For future calls, officers will speak to the resident directly and determine if he is improperly following laws regarding firearms.
Animal Complaint
1:00 p.m.: There was a black calf reported wandering in the road on South East Street. The owner was contacted and was on his way to the animal and got there before officers. The calf was gone upon arrival.
8:21 p.m.: A party reported that she lost her 20-25-pound dog, described as small, brown with tan fur and black on her tongue. She later called back stating she located her dog.
Liquor Law Violation
9:36 p.m.: On Phillips Street, a party was observed carrying an open can of mango White Claw hard seltzer. The party dropped it upon officer contact. He was issued a verbal warning after the town bylaws for open container laws and the consequences for a violation were explained.
Assist Other Police Department
11:51 p.m.: A “be on the lookout” was issued from Hadley. An incident started in Sunderland for a party threatening to harm other people and kill his family. Sunderland and Hadley PD both dealt with the involved party that night, but he was not in the area when officers arrived. The party was armed with a knife. It was unknown whether a vehicle was involved and there was no clothing description. The party should have been with his girlfriend. His last known location was on Stockbridge Street in Hadley. Hadley PD provided the information, but if the party is located, Sunderland PD is the department looking for him.
Kathrine Esten can be reached at [email protected]. Ana Pietrewicz can be reached at [email protected].
