The State Police Association of Massachusetts
[Memorial to Fallen Officers]

Sometimes people can be their own worst enemies, but most often with drugs or alcohol as a willing accomplice. As was the case when Tpr. Gary Ruef and Tpr. Chris Bruneau, both of SP Lee, responded to the Town of Alford with a report of an unwanted guest at a residence. They arrived on scene and encountered a middle-aged man who was so intoxicated that he wasn’t even able to crawl across the floor to the bathroom. So he didn’t bother, making quite a mess of his pants (it’s no wonder he was unwanted!). This was after Tpr. Bruneau discovered that the man had already removed his shorts and stored them in his backpack, complete with solid waste by-products. The Troopers had no choice but to take him into protective custody, although I’m sure they exhausted every available option. This did not go over well with Mr. Sticky Pants, who began a long, drawn-out tirade against the Troopers and anyone else he encountered. Once in the cell he began to take out his frustration on the sparse furnishings, trying to rip the toilet out of the floor and eventually dislodging the bunk from the wall and jamming it against the door. Due to the fact that he was practically beating himself to death with all his antics, as well as urinating all over the cell, the crew at Lee had to use a crowbar to get the cell door open so that they could remove him. Once he calmed down he began singing loudly (no mention of what songs) and chewing gum that he found stuck to the cell ceiling! Mmmm, minty!! He was eventually shipped to a local detox facility.

As we’ve already discovered, one of the problems with alcohol is that you have to go to the bathroom more often. Even if there isn’t a bathroom nearby. Tpr. TJ Tudryn (SP Shelburne) observed this phenomenon first-hand when he stopped for a disabled motor vehicle on I-91 in Deerfield one evening, in time to see the middle-aged female operator pull up her pants and stumble back into her car. The inquisitive Trooper investigated the area where she had been squatting and observed a wet puddle with some stained tissues nearby. The intoxicated female failed the Field Sobriety Tests (FST’s), adding a charge of OUI to her littering offence (or was that offensive littering?). She too decided that the Troopers were the cause of all her problems, swearing at everyone back at the barracks and calling them all sorts of horrid names.

More fun with drunken women followed for Tpr. Tudryn when he responded to the scene of a car 150 feet down a steep embankment in Colrain. While he was searching for any occupants a female pulled up in another vehicle, claiming to have been driving the crashed car when she was forced off the road by an unknown vehicle. Obvious signs of intoxication led to FST’s and the failure of such led to her arrest for OUI. Simple enough so far, but again, the wondrous side-affects of alcohol means that people will continue to get in more trouble. Booze, the gift that keeps on giving! You see, despite being advised that refusing to take the Breath Test (BT) would result in the immediate suspension of her license, she decided to go out and take a drive once she was released. The barracks was advised of this by Greenfield PD and Tpr. David Pinkham went out to Colrain where he arrested her for the second time in the same night.

Tpr. James Frohock (SP Springfield) was running LIDAR on I-291 in Springfield one recent evening when he attempted to stop a car for speeding. The driver sped up and tried to get away, but only succeeded in crashing through the fence around the Springfield Barracks when he was trying to make the Armory Street exit. Maybe he was in a hurry to turn himself in!? The occupants then tried their luck on foot but the driver was overcome with the stress of running from the police and collapsed on the side of the road, crying uncontrollably. The mean streets of Springfield, Mass is no place for wimps!

Tpr. Chris Baran (SP Springfield) was running LIDAR in the same spot a few days later when he stopped a car for speeding. This time the driver pulled over without incident. Chris detected a strong odor of fresh marijuana from the vehicle and was not convinced when the driver tried to tell him that the odor was from a roach that he had been smoking. A search of the driver revealed three large bags of weed stuffed into his drawers. And Chris thought he was just happy to see him!

Tprs. Steve Burgess and Amy Waterman were teamed up one evening to patrol the aforementioned mean streets of Springfield with the B Troop CAT Team when they stopped a car with an expired registration. Whilst talking to the male driver and female passenger, Amy observed a plastic baggie full of white powder sticking out of a cubby hole in the center console. Once both occupants were removed and searched, during which an uncapped hypodermic needle was found in the drivers’ pocket, a search of the vehicle was conducted, turning up six more baggies of cocaine and a quantity of Xanax. All this in a school zone too! Anyhow, the female is a little sketchy on exactly what her name is or when she was born, but her real name is eventually discovered, adding an outstanding warrant to her charges. As if the story wasn’t good enough already, the over-achieving Troopers went to work on the female party, who was more than willing to make any deal she could in order to offset the time she had hanging over her on her previous charges. She willingly gave consent to search her apartment and told the Troopers where they could locate an SKS rifle and a 30/30 rifle hidden in a box spring.

Tprs. Mike Trombley and Keller Williams were also teamed up for a stint with the B Troop CAT Team when they stopped a car on I-391 in Chicopee for an unsafe lane change. The driver was unlicensed and had a warrant so he was promptly taken into custody. A carry-on bag was located during the inventory, which contained all the tools of the trade. The drug trade, that is. There was baggies, scales, razor blades, grinders, and straws, all covered in a white powdery substance. Tpr. Brian Gladu (K-9 West) arrived with his partner “Dash”, and a number of bags of cocaine were located hidden in the vehicle. In all, 38 grams of coke was recovered and seized.

Tpr. Amy Waterman was riding solo one night in Springfield when she stopped a car for a defective brake light. The driver was revoked and had a warrant so he was taken into custody. An inventory of his vehicle revealed some baggies of cocaine. It was at this point that the driver began to get belligerent, becoming “difficult and disruptive” on the short ride to the Springfield Barracks. The man then demanded to use the restroom as soon as he arrived at the barracks. Being told he’d have to wait a few minutes added to his displeasure and he told Amy to “watch her step”, whereupon he urinated all over the booking room floor. I think that might be the theme for this month.

Tpr. Orlando Medina (SP Springfield) was running radar on I-391 in Chicopee when he waved in two vehicles that were both speeding. Both vehicles pulled over but the second one decided that Orlando would be too busy with the one that was nearer to him and pulled back into traffic. Well, Orlando decided that that sort of cheekiness warranted more attention and went after the “one that got away”. The driver must have panicked, thinking that his little scheme had back-fired, and doubled his efforts to avoid a speeding ticket, running through the afternoon traffic at over 100mph, cutting off cars and using all lanes in the process. Orlando was able to catch him in heavy traffic, turning a $220 speeding ticket into an expensive trip to jail.

Tpr. Steve Burgess (B-CAT) stopped a car for a defective muffler in Springfield and detected the odor of burnt marijuana from the vehicle. Tprs. Keller Williams and Brian Clapprood (both from the CAT Team) arrived to assist with removing the five occupants from the car. A passenger in the rear seat offered up half a blunt as being the source of the odor, again, hoping to satisfy the Troopers’ curiosity. Nothing doing, and a search of the car ensued. Five bags of marijuana were located under the seat where the young man had been sitting, weighing in at just under 8 ounces. This took place in the driveway of an elementary school. It seems that the young entrepreneur had bought himself a round-trip bus ticket from Boston to Springfield in the hope of procuring some high-grade, western weed and “doubling his money”.

Tpr. Tom Moriarty (SP Northampton) was working a PAID DETAIL on 291 in Springfield one evening when a couple of gents in a pick-up attempted to drive around his cruiser and enter the closed-off ramp to I-91. Tommy got out to set the driver straight and smelled a strong odor of alcohol seeping from the truck. When he asked the driver to pull further over to the side of the road and produce his license the man took off. Tommy hopped in his cruiser and gave chase, calling in the description to SP Springfield. He followed the truck as it exited onto Dwight Street, where it crashed into a bridge abutment. Tpr. Will Medina (SP Northampton) left his PAID DETAIL and arrived at the same time as Tommy. Will started dealing with the driver while Tommy took the passenger into custody. The driver refused to get out of the truck, swearing at Will and being generally unkind. A quick shot of OC spray got him to be a little more compliant, for a few minutes at least, until he started kicking at the Troopers who were arriving on scene to assist. Needless to say, he was “cocked”, and charged with his 4th OUI offence. Please note that no hydrants were hurt in the making of this story.

Tprs. Mike Trombley and Stephen Gregorczyk were partnered up for their CAT Team gig in Springfield and used the opportunity to drive around running plates on their MDT. One particular inquiry revealed that the owner of a vehicle had an outstanding warrant and they stopped the car to determine that he was the current driver. He was, and he was arrested. His passenger had a warrant as well, and he was arrested. A search of the car turned up 21 baggies of marijuana, packaged for distribution. $3,400 in small bills was also seized.

Tpr. Brian Clapprood (B-CAT) was working in Pittsfield one evening when he stopped a car for revoked registration. Upon learning that the vehicle was going to be towed and inventory the female operator reached in the open passenger door and grabbed some items from the center console, which she then threw away. Brian noticed that one of the discarded items bore specific characteristics in its manner of flight that immediately identified it as a bag of cocaine (little known fact, but Tpr. Clapprood is, among other things, a keen amateur aeronautical engineer). He quickly secured the driver and her passenger and confirmed that the suspect item was in fact a big old bag ‘o coke. Both were charged with possession with intent to distribute, making this a violation of the passengers’ probation.

It’s true that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and if the family tree has very few branches it can only mean a life of trouble. The story goes that Tpr. Jeff Roberts (SP Russell) stopped a car one recent evening on Route 20 and observed some marijuana residue in the vehicle. The young passenger lied to the Trooper, denying that there were any drugs in their possession. The discovery of a joint in his pocket led to his arrest (Kids, don’t lie to The Man). End of story, right? Not so. You see, Dad had to come down to the barracks in the middle of the night to bail out junior, not a trip that anyone wants to have to make. But Dad, who obviously had little in the way of intelligence that he could pass on to his son, drove himself up to the barracks, having been pulled away from a night of heavy drinking. Sgt. Roger Fleury and Tpr. George Beaupre immediately identified the signs of this activity, you know, the glassy, bloodshot eyes, the strong odor of alcohol, the inability to stand up straight. After confirming that he had driven himself to the barracks, Tpr. Beaupre conducted the FST’s right in the lobby, which were all failed. Dad clocked a .21 on the BT and added a second OUI charge to his record. He was then placed in a cell next door to his son. Oh, what a story they’ll have to tell their poor, ill-fated grandchildren.

Speaking of children who are destined to have a tough time due to their unfortunate choice of parents, did you hear about the couple who were have a domestic argument in their car outside a bar in Westfield. Tpr. Erin Fowler (SP Russell) went to investigate, only to learn that they had been shooting up heroin in the car with their 11 month-old in the back seat.

More news from the shallow end of the gene pool, this time courtesy of the Mid shift at SP Northampton. Tprs. Eric French, Dustin Fitch and Nick Dumas had just cleared a motor vehicle stop on Appleton Street in Holyoke when they noticed a car full of “yutes” who thought it would be funny to flip off the Troopers as they drove by. Unfortunately for the degenerate gesticulators, it only served draw attention to their loud, aftermarket exhaust, resulting in getting pulled over for same. The odor of burnt marijuana led to exit orders and searches, turning up marijuana and alcohol, which resulted in criminal charges all round. I hope that’ll teach them not to be so rude in future, but I doubt it.

Tpr. Bill Loiselle (SP Northampton) stopped a vehicle on I-91 in Northampton for erratic operation. The odor of burnt marijuana combined with the smell of fear (which, believe it or not, Tpr. Loiselle can detect at a quarter mile. Fear, that is) from the very nervous driver led to an exit order. A search of the occupants turned up some hypodermic needles and other drug paraphernalia, as well as a rock of crack cocaine hidden in a cigarette packet. A search of the car revealed more crack and a quantity of heroin, hidden in a candy tin.

Tpr. Dustin Fitch (SP Northampton) attempted to stop a car on I-91 in Holyoke for a defective taillight but the driver decided that Dustin’s Crown Vic was no match for his Saturn sedan and took off, relenting in a “Code One” and the opportunity to put Dustin’s Evoc training to the test. The pursuit was called off when the vehicle went into a residential complex. Dustin backed it down and took a slow ride through the area, coming across the car abandoned at the back of the parking lot. Tpr. Dave Stucenski (K-9 West) arrived and started a track through the marshy area, eventually coming across the occupants of the car waist deep in the swamp. After they refused to come out of the swamp after numerous warnings Tpr. Stucenski released the hound, and “Lando” scored his first “apprehension”. I looked up the meaning of “apprehension” in the dictionary and nowhere did it make mention of any reference to having a great big chunk bitten out of ones forearm, but that’s what happened. It might seem like a harsh penalty for not having a drivers license but that’s what you get for running from the police.

Tpr. Matt Moran stopped a car in Holyoke for a defective exhaust and observed a large amount of cash on the passenger seat. The driver was arrested because his license was suspended and was unable to give a clear explanation for his cash windfall. Tpr. Gary Hebert (K-9 West) brought his partner down to the scene and the dog took a good whiff of the cash, which, according to the dog, reeked of drugs. The cash was seized and will be put toward purchasing a years supply of kibble.

It’s true that no good deed goes unpunished. Tpr. Brian Pearl (SP Northampton) responded to a BOLO for a possible rolling domestic coming out of Holyoke. The caller stated that a juvenile in the vehicle was going to be beaten by his mother. Brian stopped the car and got the true story. It appears the juvenile in question had made the call himself, fearing the wrath of his mother because she had to come down from Vermont to bail him out after he got caught shoplifting. The good deed part arose when Brian learned that the mothers’ boyfriend, who had driven them down to Mass, had no license and two warrants, one of which had been outstanding since 1994. It may set a new B Troop In The Book record for the oldest warrant cleared.

And we wrap up pretty much where we started, with a case of public drunkenness and poor potty-training. Tpr. Angie Guerrera (SP Northampton), still on a mini high from catching a bank robber while on her way home a couple of months ago, was driving past the rest area in Holyoke one afternoon when she observed a man standing beside his pick-up, relieving himself, and exposing his tally-whacker to all and sundry in the process. Tally-whacker, by the way, is a bona fide medical term. It’s in all the journals. Anyhow, the man became a little coyer when he realized that he had attracted the Troopers attention and he got back in his truck. Angie stopped him to have a chat about his lack of decorum and detected the signs of intoxication. When she asked for his license he stated that, “They took it away, ‘cause of drinking”. He showed that he is a slow learner by failing the FST’s, again, and Tpr. Bill Loiselle (SP Northampton) arrived to assist with transporting him and his equally drunk passenger to the barracks. The man refused to take the Breath Test, claiming that the machine was defective. A charge of Indecent Exposure was added to his second OUI offence.

Well, that’s all I got for this month. I’d like to point out that despite all the bodily-function related stories, this may be the first time in a while that we didn’t have a crotch reference. I hope that gets rectified for the next issue. And remember, it’s always better to be In The Book, than in the news.