The following police logs are from the Amherst Police Department from Friday, April 17, 2020 to Sunday, April 19, 2020.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Property/Evidence Administration
8:49 a.m.: The March B and C property shelves were inventoried, case statuses were checked and closed and inactive items were destroyed and updated in the information management computer.
Assist Citizen
10:03 a.m.: A reporting party at 958 East Pleasant St. complained of an issue with his neighbors. An officer spoke with both parties regarding moving a fence that sits between their two residences.
2:29 p.m.: A reporting party at 16 Market Hill Road stated three of her Amazon packages were taken by her neighbor at 14 Market Hill Road. She stated that she tracked the packages, and they were marked as being delivered to an adult at the delivery location, 16 Market Hill Road. The reporting party stated she had been home “all day” and claimed she did not receive the packages. She also claimed her neighbor on the other side of the duplex was also home today and may have been given the packages. The reporting party claimed she and her neighbor have a bad relationship, and she cannot go and ask her neighbor about the packages. The reporting party was advised to contact Amazon and find out if the packages were actually left at 14 Market Hill Road instead of 16 Market Hill Road. The reporting party was advised that the shift was busy at the time, and no one was available to knock on her neighbor’s door because she didn’t want to. She was advised if an officer becomes available later, one can try to accommodate her request.
Assist Other Police Departments
11:51 a.m.: Officers assisted in looking for a missing person. The officers checked 288 Grantwood Drive, but the party was not located. A field interview was conducted.
Community Policing
1:41 p.m.: Officers escorted two separate Fort River School wave parades of teachers and school staff driving through two specific geographical routes based upon student population.
Suspicious
2:11 p.m.: A reporting party stated there was a male party who was awkward and following people, acting like he was going to attack someone by Cumberland Farms on 35 Belchertown Road. The party was wearing a grey hoodie and a blue bandana on his face. The station received a 911 cell phone call from a second reporting party. The reporting party stated a customer who had the same description as the male party had come within inches of her boyfriend’s face, accosting him and asking if that’s where the line started. The male party then followed them out the door within a few feet and made them feel uncomfortable. The reporting party had left the scene but was concerned for the employee inside. APD received information from Hadley Police Department of a similar incident that occurred at the Home Depot in Hadley within an hour of this call. Upon arrival, an officer observed the male party standing on the sidewalk across the street from the Cumberland Farms with his truck parked in an empty lot. The male party was offered medical or mental health assistance to which he declined. The male party was advised of the complaints at Cumberland Farms and that Cumberland Farms may seek to trespass him based on his behavior. The officer also advised the male party of his history with similar incidents, which resulted in two criminal applications for disorderly conduct earlier this month, as he is annoying his neighbors and passersby, which has been documented in the computer-aided dispatch history. An officer went to Cumberland Farms to locate the reporting parties and speak with the staff on the scene.
9:35 p.m.: The garage lights at City Tire on 292 College Street were on, and the doorknob closest to the dumpsters was a bit loose. It does not appear the business had been broken into, however, the key holder was contacted, and they indicated the lights were left on, and the doorknob had been through a lot.
Shoplifting
2:17 p.m.: Management at the Big Y on 175 University Drive caught a party with a large amount of Redbull. Management was able to recover the Redbull, and the party, a 25-year-old male from Amherst, was issued a summons for shoplifting.
Animal Administration Services
4:00 p.m.: The waste stations at the Wentworth Conservation Area on 100 Stanley St. were cleaned.
4:01 p.m.: The waste stations at the Amethyst Brook on 187 Pelham Road were cleaned.
Disturbance
4:57 p.m.: A reporting party stated his girlfriend’s mother is in the hallway and wants to speak to him and her daughter but doesn’t want to talk to her or give her access to the apartment. The verbal argument began after the mother refused to leave the area until she spoke with her daughter. An officer spoke with both the reporting party and the mother’s daughter, and both checked ok. They stated the daughter continues to struggle with alcohol addiction, and the mother arrived to attempt to remove her from the residence and bring her to detox. The daughter did not want to go and did not want to speak with her mother. No damages and threats were made. Both parties were advised on the process of seeking a restraining order and a trespass notice.
Noise Complaint
5:52 p.m.: A reporting party stated a white house on Sellen Street was having a party with loud music. The noise was coming from a speaker in the window with approximately 10 college-aged males hanging out and playing beer pong. The parties were asked to lower the music.
Follow Up
6:03 p.m.: An officer spoke with the neighbor at 14 Market Hill Road. The neighbor stated she did not receive any Amazon packages that did not belong to her.
Traffic
6:22 p.m.: The Department of Public Works was advised of a street sign in the vicinity of 1501 West Street that had been run over in the past.
10:36 p.m.: A reporting party stated three college-aged males were skateboarding in the middle of East Pleasant and Chestnut Streets. An officer spoke with the males and advised them of the complaint. They stated the sidewalk was too broken up to skate upon safely in the dark. The males were visible with lights and were advised to remain in the bike lane while they continued a short distance home.
Larceny
7:33 p.m.: A reporting party stated one of his part-time employees stole a cellphone, a credit card and around $300 from the company truck during the five days he was employed by him. The reporting party was unable to speak on the phone for an extended period of time due to personal issues and a busy schedule, but will send an email statement with further details. An incident report was completed.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Disturbance
2:18 a.m.: At the Townehouse Apartments at 50 Meadow St., a reporting party stated that his girlfriend was intoxicated and yelling and screaming at him. He tried to get her to go to bed but she wouldn’t. He was concerned about leaving her alone with her level of intoxication but didn’t think she needed an ambulance at that time. Officers explained that if she was not being violent toward him and she did not require an ambulance, APD would not place her in protective care as he was sober and could care for her. Officers checked her wellbeing and found her to be buzzed at most. Officers explained to the reporting party that they could not place her in protective care simply because she was being an annoyance by not letting him talk to her.
5:26 a.m.: Three college-aged students were reported at the Cumberland Farms at 35 Belchertown Rd. The reporting party stated the students were angry because the store wouldn’t sell them cigarettes and wouldn’t leave. APD learned the parties had entered the store earlier in the morning and attempted to buy cigarettes without IDs. Staff suspected that they might be attempting to buy cigarettes for underage persons and refused to sell them when the students returned with IDs. The parties agreed to leave the store and were sent on their way.
Traffic
2:52 a.m.: At 137 Pine St., an individual reported a loss of power and heard an explosion-type noise and saw a flash of light. Eversource was contacted and stated they would respond in 35 minutes. APD observed the flash and located the downed wire. All power was out on the street and there were no signs of crashes in nearby poles. Power was eventually restored by Eversource.
9:27 a.m.: A reporting party at 82 Rambling Rd. advised of a tree down across the road. The Department of Public Works was contacted to remove the large tree, which was obscuring the roadway.
Assist Other Police Department
5:23 a.m.: APD assisted Northampton Police Department in looking for a gray 2005 Toyota Corolla in the vicinity of 165 Summer St. The operator had dementia and no driver’s license and used to live at that location. The operator’s wife was speaking with Northampton PD and the vehicle had been seen in Northampton a few hours before. There was no sign of the person or vehicle during the search.
9:22 a.m.: An APD officer attempted to make contact with an individual at 186 Harkness Rd. for the Lexington Police Department. Staff stated they would make contact and advise the officer.
Assist Citizen
9:54 a.m.: APD assisted an individual in Maine who had an issue with a stolen credit card issue. He planned to report the incident to his local police department after his credit card was used to order ear pods which were scheduled to be delivered at 19 South Prospect St. that day. APD planned to touch base with the residents and ask them to contact APD if any suspicious packages or persons appeared at their residence. APD knocked on the residence doors but there was no answer.
Suspicious Motor Vehicle
11:08 a.m.: At 17 Montague Rd., APD was out with a red 2011 Chevrolet Silverado which was stuck in the mud. The operator had somehow backed his vehicle approximately 20 feet out of the parking lot onto the lawn and became stuck. The tire ruts were in the lawn which belongs to Riverside Apartments. The operator, a 62-year-old man, had no apparent reason for backing off the pavement and was in his “normal agitated state.” He refused assistance and said he would call AAA if he could not get himself out. He was given two hours to make his own arrangements to get the truck removed or it would be a police-ordered tow. The vehicle was removed and the damage to the lawn was two 40-foot long ruts in the grass. The vehicle owner was informed he was responsible for property damage and the information could be provided to the property owner to seek compensation.
Motor Vehicle Crash Police Department
1:05 p.m.: At 1034 West St., a reporting party stated that he came home and his mailbox had been struck by a vehicle and was completely destroyed. The resident wanted to see an officer. A red 2017 Honda Civic was stopped by South Hadley Police Department with fresh damage following a call for erratic operation. SHPD contacted APD at which point another report of a damaged mailbox on West Street came in. APD responded, photographed the scene, collected vehicle parts consistent with the listed vehicle and was advised that the operator had struck a pole in Amherst. A summons was issued to the operator, a 28-year-old Amherst woman, for leaving the scene of property damage.
Follow Up
3:07 p.m.: APD observed a male on the porch of 19 South Prospect St. and stopped to inquire about fraudulent credit card purchases made in Maine and the delivery of earbuds to that residence. There was no answer at the front door and APD noted two vehicles with New York registration in the driveway. Two males identified by the registration of the gray 2017 Dodge Durango and gray 2008 Dodge Durango came out to speak with the officer. Both denied any knowledge of the package and advised they resided on the first floor. Two vehicles with a Massachusetts registration, a gray 2009 Honda Civic and a gray 2004 Nissan Sentra, were parked on the street in front of the residence. There was no contact made with the second floor or basement residents. Additionally, the APD officer located an Amazon driver operating further down the road and inquired about the delivery status of the residence. The driver advised that he didn’t have anything on his list and stated that tracking could be obtained through their customer service line.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Suspicious Motor Vehicle
2:17 a.m.: While doing a check of the area near The Hangar, 10 University Dr., an officer observed a vehicle running with the operator asleep. The party advised he had been traveling back and forth from the Boston area to visit friends in Easthampton. The party advised he is a part-time student and is attempting to move in in the area. Options were given to the party, and he was advised it was okay to sleep in the lot for the night.
Noise Complaint
4:08 a.m.: A reporting party stated there was “a lot of banging” coming from a Crestview apartment at 1001 North Pleasant St. Officers did not respond as the party is a repeat caller and prior calls were unfounded.
10:55 p.m.: Loud voices and people throwing things off the roof at a Main Street residence were reported. No one was outside and there was no noise upon police arrival.
Property/Evidence Administration
8:09 a.m.: April B, C, D and E shelves were inventoried, evidence and cases were researched and inactive or closed items were destroyed and documented.
Recovered Property
8:19 a.m.: A reporting party called 911 to report a written check on the sidewalk outside the High Horse at 24 North Pleasant St. that needed to be picked up immediately. The check was written out to Bistro 63 and has been signed on the back. An officer took the check back to APD where it was ripped up and disposed of.
Follow Up
8:26 a.m.: An officer attempted to serve a citation to an individual’s listed mailing address on Sumner Street. The citation was left with the individual’s parent.
Animal Complaint
11:40 a.m.: There was a report of a dog inside a black Toyota 4Runner on Hallock Street. The windows were cracked and no one was around. Two dogs, a German shepherd and a pit bull mix, were in the car relaxing. They looked to be comfortable. The registration came back to a South East Street address and no phone number was listed.
1:26 p.m.: A reporting party advised there was an injured or sickly skunk on Blue Hills Drive just before the intersection. The skunk was observed to have an injured rear leg. An officer was unable to dispatch the skunk as because of its location the officer could not take a safe shot. The skunk was able to leave the area under its own power.
Assist Business/Agency
1:15 p.m.: DCR was looking for assistance in dealing with parking issues due to an overabundance of hikers. An officer spoke with a DCR ranger regarding parking on Military Road, which is not Amherst property. The ranger was issuing tickets but declined to tow. The ranger advised an Environmental Police Officer had been assigned to the notch, but was no longer present. He contacted Massachusetts State Police regarding towing the vehicles parked on Massachusetts State Highway Route 116. The APD officer did not observe any vehicles parked on Route 116 blocking travel lanes. The DCR ranger chained off Military Road and will meet with the state on Monday regarding the plan regarding the notch during COVID-19.
2:20 p.m.: A reporting party stated a shelter on the Larch Hill conservation land appeared to have bedding left in it as if someone was staying there. A message was left for conservation.
Assist Citizen
3:12 p.m.: A reporting party stated her boyfriend had started a relationship with a woman. The caller is now pregnant with his child and the new girlfriend was angry about the situation. The new girlfriend has been texting the caller for a few days. The caller also believes that the girlfriend has pirated the caller’s Facebook page and is posting pictures and contacting people as if she is the caller. The caller was advised to delete her Facebook page and block the girlfriend’s number. She was advised she could print out the texts and bring them in to be assessed for harassment, or that she could seek an emergency protective order from APD or a permanent protective order from the court against the girlfriend.
11:01 p.m.: A reporting party stated a male party was parked in a handicap parking spot at John Nutting Apartments, 36 Chestnut Ct., without a handicap sticker. The reporting party double-parked two of his three vehicles and as a result had eliminated all parking spots for everyone else. The reporting party was told to move his vehicles and show some courtesy to everyone in the apartment complex. The original vehicle did have a valid handicap placard displayed.
Suspicious
3:44 p.m. A male party wearing a hoodie was reported driving a blue pickup truck and moving between parking spots at the Town Common, 100 South Pleasant St. The male started taking tarps, tents and miscellaneous items out of his truck while yelling and being disruptive. The caller was concerned that the man had been driving prior to this behavior. The male had several large brown tarps on the sidewalk, across the street and alongside the road as they were blowing in the wind. He also had several 4x4x8 pieces of wood on the sidewalk. He indicated he was going to set up a sun shelter. Based on the high winds and obvious hazard the shelter would cause the public, officers told the man he could not.
5:38 p.m.: A reporting party stated there was a college-age kid sitting on top of the chimney at a residence on Tyler Place. The caller was unable to see the other side of the roof and was unsure how many people were on the roof. The residents indicated they had been on the roof, but were not upon officer arrival. They were asked not to go back up.
7:16 p.m.: An involved party from an earlier incident had set up a tent in the Spring Street parking lot and was being disruptive. He was observed in his “sunshade” with a full sheet of spray-painted plywood, as well as a folding table and tie-dyed shirts. He was observed talking to himself and put up his middle finger at police, but that was about it.
8:19 p.m.: A party at a residence on East Pleasant Street was setting off fireworks in the front yard of his neighbor’s residence and then taking off. An officer spoke with neighbors who showed a bottle rocket suspended from their tree. Neighbors also stated the involved party had spilled BB pellets from his BB gun on their lawn, and dug up their lawn to put the dirt on his own lawn. An officer knocked on the door and observed the involved party rolling around on the ground. A BB handgun was observed in the windowsill. The officer tried to convince the party to come to the door, but the party grabbed the BB gun, ran to the living room and lay on the ground in a prone position behind a pillow fort with the handgun in his hand. The officer cleared the scene because the individual was not listening to reason and a police encounter would likely not end well.
Disturbance
6:16 p.m.: A 911 caller stated a male party had accused her friend of touching food inside Bueno y Sano, 1 Boltwood Walk, and he had pushed her. He was in a red Columbia sweatshirt, a mask and gloves. The issue was mediated and the parties were sent on their way once the food was retrieved.
6:32 p.m.: An officer returned to Bueno y Sano. The female parties had returned and began yelling at the male party and harassing him. The females left the area prior to police arrival. Officers remained in the area until the male party left Bueno y Sano with his food. An officer observed the females yelling at the male as he walked by, but they stopped and walked away when the officer pulled into the area.
Motor Vehicle Crash
7:27 p.m.: A gray 2009 Nissan Murano and a gray 2005 Hyundai Elantra crashed into each other on Shays Street, then separated and crashed into each other again multiple times in a possible road rage incident. The vehicles took off down Shays Street toward South East Street. The reporting party had a video of the incident. Belchertown PD was advised.
Assist AFD
9:33 p.m.: A reporting party reported an illegal burn and loud music coming from a North Pleasant Street address. AFD spoke to the residents who stated they had a small cooking fire. They stated they would put it out.
Kathrine Esten can be reached at [email protected]. Will Mallas can be reached at [email protected]. Ana Pietrewicz can be reached at [email protected].
