Just after midnight, Trooper Robert Berrena assigned to the Troop B Community Action Team was on patrol in Northampton when he observed a Toyota Corolla with a Vermont registration commit motor violations.

Trooper Berrena activated his cruiser emergency lights and stopped the Corolla in the parking lot of the Speedway Gas Station. The vehicle contained two occupants. The operator was identified as TRISTIAN GALLAGHER, 22 of Lyndonville, Vt.

As a result of an investigation and search of the vehicle, a black Taurus “Curve” handgun with five .380 caliber rounds of ammunition plus an additional magazine were located. GALLAGHER was placed under arrest and transported to the Northampton Barracks where a bail commissioner set bail at $1000.00. GALLAGHER was held until his arraignment today in Northampton District Court on the following charges:

1) Possession/Carrying a Firearm;
2) Possession of a Firearm/No LTC;
3) Possession of Ammunition/No FID or LTC; and
4) Carrying a Loaded Firearm.

The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of August 10, 2020 –August 14, 2020 and they are as follows:

Eversource:

Eversource will replace the gas mains and service at the following locations:

• Kings Hwy. – Tarkiln Hill Rd. to Mt. Pleasant St. (Main)
• Cottage St. From Parker St. – Sycamore St. (Main)
• Clifford St. from Ashley Blvd. to Acushnet Ave. (Services)
• Davis St. from Riverside Ave. to 389 Davis St. (Services
• Hatch St. from Acushnet Ave. to Belleville Ave. (Services)
• Summer St. from Studley St. to Locust St. (Main)
• Pleasant St.  from 899 Pleasant St. to Hillman St. to Purchase St. (Main)

Eversource will be doing final street and sidewalk restoration at various locations city wide

Other:

• Contractor (PA Landers) to continue drainage work at Mass DOT Project #606709, New Bedford – Roadway Reconstruction and Related Work (including signals) along a section of Kings Highway and Tarkiln Hill Road. Construction to take place during regular working hours (Monday – Friday), police details and traffic controls will be in place.
• SRPEDD will be performing traffic counts at Hawthorn St. at County St. and Howland Rd. at New Bedford line.
• Department of Public Infrastructure will be filling potholes on a continuous basis throughout the city.
• Department of Public Infrastructure conducting its annual street sweeping program city-wide.
• Department of Public Infrastructure will soon start Sunday hydrant flushing. Flushing will be conducted on August 2nd, 9th and 16th at the following locations between 8 AM and 4 PM:
◦ Industrial Park along Braley Rd., Church St., Phillips Rd., Duchaine Blvd., Samuel Barnet Blvd. and John Vertente Blvd.
◦ The Fish Houses along Coggeshall St., North Front St., Herman Melville Blvd. and MacArthur Dr. from Front St. to Cove St.
◦ Pier 2, Pier 4 and the State Pier
◦ Downtown between Maxfield St. and Walnut St. and from County St. to the Waterfront.
• Contractor (P Gioioso and Son) is scheduled to continue with the replacement of the Nelson St. Water Main between Crapo St. and County St. During working hours, Nelson St. may be closed to thru traffic with access by local traffic only. Traffic will be directed to either Jouvette St. or Scott St. Detour signage, police details and traffic controls will be in place. There will be a lane restriction at t he Crapo St. intersection on Tuesday and the County St. intersection on Thursday to complete connections between the existing and new water mains.
• The contractor (WES Construction) is scheduled to continue construction of the new pumping station and demolishing the old station at the Front St./ Elm St. site. Elm St., between JFK Memorial Highway (RTE 18) and MacArthur Dr. will be closed to westbound traffic. Westbound traffic will be detoured via MacArthur Drive. There will be detour signage and traffic controls in place.
• The contractor (Bay State Wind Water) will be replacing municipal interconnecting water meters along Lloyd St. and Nye Ln. There may be some traffic controls for short periods during the week. The contractor will also be replacing water meters at various NBHA locations.
• Due to ongoing construction at the High Hill Reservoir residents may experience discolored water. The water is safe, and the discoloration will be temporary. We recommend allowing the water to settle for a few hours and then flushing your service line by letting the bathtub run for a few minutes until the water clears.

** Please note: Contractors will continue to follow guidelines and protocol regarding COVID-19 social distancing while conducting work in construction zone.

Due to the current COVID-19 situation the Department of Public Infrastructure will be closed to the public entry. Office staff is available to assist by email and telephone.

A 24-year-old New Bedford gang member arrested in connection to the ongoing investigation into the July 17th fatal shooting of Keven Rocha on Margin Street in New Bedford was found dangerous and ordered held without bail by a New Bedford District Court judge last Friday, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced..

Bruno Lopes is charged with Armed Assault in Dwelling, Carrying Firearm without a License, Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License, Attempted Assault and Battery with a Firearm, Malicious Destruction of Property Over $1200 and Discharging Firearm Within 500 Feet of a Building.

During the district court dangerousness hearing, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Sylvia entered the following allegations into the record:

On the evening of the homicide, the defendant and Mr. Rocha were seen on surveillance video leaving Monte’s Park together and arriving on Margin Street in New Bedford. The defendant and Mr. Rocha entered the home, at which point it is alleged that Mr. Rocha pointed a gun at the occupants inside with the intent to rob. A struggle ensued, and Rocha is apparently shot and killed with his own gun.

After initially fleeing the home on foot, the defendant is then seen on surveillance video coming back to the home about ten minutes later with another gun. The defendant is accused of shooting at the home from outside at least seven time. The gun allegedly used by the defendant to shoot into the home was located by police on the defendant’s path of travel after the shooting.

At the time of this incident, the defendant was free due to a Superior Court Judge’s September 2019 ruling to set aside a jury’s guilty verdict connected to a May 2018 shooting. In that case, the defendant was convicted by a jury of his peers after a four-day trial in Fall River Superior Court on indictments charging him with Carrying an Illegal Firearm and Attempted Assault and Battery by Discharge of a Firearm.

On June 20, 2019, Judge Gregg Pasquale sentenced the defendant to serve the maximum two-and-a-half year jail sentence for the carrying of an illegal firearm charge. He was then sentenced to a second two-and-a-half year jail sentence, with one year to serve and the balance suspended for three years, on the attempted assault and battery by discharge of a firearm charge.

However, on September 30, 2019, Judge Pasquale allowed the defendant’s motion to set aside both jury verdicts based on their contention that the defendant could not be identified as the shooter on surveillance video. The judge then entered not guilty findings on both indictments and ordered the defendant released from custody. The judge’s decision is currently under appeal by this office.

New Bedford Police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office and Homicide Unit prosecutors continue to actively investigate the fatal shooting which occurred between 4:00-5:00 am on July 17.​

New Bedford Police responded to 17 Margin Street early that morning and discovered Mr. Rocha had been fatally shot inside of the multi-family building.

Ricardo Velez-Gonzalez​, 33, of New Bedford was arrested July 21 and charged with Manslaughter in connection to the death of Mr. Rocha. He is currently being held without bail after being found dangerous by a New Bedford District Court judge in late July.

“This defendant clearly should be held as a danger to the community for his outrageous conduct of opening fire on an occupied building. He showed an utter disregard for the lives and safety for anyone in and around the building. He simply should not be out on the street. On May 24, 2019 he was convicted by a Bristol county jury of illegally possessing a firearm and firing into an occupied automobile. However, several months later in an extremely rare action, the trial judge, Gregg Pasquale, vacated the jury verdict and entered a finding of not guilty. He put the defendant back on the street and we have appealed that decision. In addition, the defendant was arrested in the City of Providence, Rhode Island on June 2, 2020 during a public disturbance,” District Attorney Quinn said.

Over a month after the first report of a wildfire on Joshua Hill a few lingering smokes (hot spots) remain but the fire is completely contained. Joshua Hill is partially within MassWildlife’s Mount Toby Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and adjacent private lands in Leverett. At its peak, over 100 firefighters from local fire departments and state agencies were involved in battling the fire.

The fire was successfully contained within a 60-acre perimeter, but environmental and physical conditions have made it difficult to completely extinguish the fire. Officials are requesting that the public refrain from visiting the Joshua Hill area at this time. Though an investigation is ongoing, lightning is the suspected cause of the fire.

The Joshua Hill fire was first reported on June 25, 2020. The extent of the fire and difficult terrain severely limited access for conventional firefighting equipment and therefore required a coordinated response from surrounding communities and state agencies. Leverett Fire Department and the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) District 9 Bureau of Forest Fire Control initiated a unified response under the direction of the Leverett Fire Chief.

Additional firefighters, equipment, and other resources were provided by at least a dozen neighboring fire departments. In addition, other DCR firefighters, the MassWildlife wildland fire crew, the Franklin County Hand Crew, and State Police Air Wing Division were deployed on the fire line and in the air. The community generously donated drinks, food, and supplies, and the State Highway Patrol managed increased local traffic on smoky roadways.

Firefighters faced a number of challenges while working to contain the fire—steep, rocky, forested terrain containing areas of dead and dying hemlocks, dry leaf litter, deep layers of duff, and hot and droughty conditions, as well as the remote location of a relatively large fire. To keep the wildfire contained, a fire line three feet wide and almost two miles in circumference was established; an effort involving considerable mechanical and physical labor.

A bulldozer donated by Wagner Wood of Amherst scraped off green undergrowth and layers of duff to expose bare, mineral soils to halt the fire’s progress in lower elevations. In steeper terrain, firefighters cleared and dug the fire line trench by hand. Meanwhile, a State Police Helicopter strategically dropped water on the flames.

“At first, the fire was difficult to control due to the extremely dry fuels and the rugged terrain,” said Phil Gilmore, DCR District 9 Fire Warden. “But qualified personnel from throughout the area came together quickly to secure a safe handline around the perimeter to prevent the fire’s spread. We’re thankful for their tremendous support.”

Even after the flames were extinguished, fire continued to smolder belowground in dry root systems and duff for over three weeks. Fire crews will continue to monitor the site until heavy rains extinguish the fire. “Special thanks to our MassWildlife crew and the many professional firefighters who worked tirelessly over the last few weeks,” said Caren Caljouw, MassWildlife’s Prescribed Fire Program Manager. “Our staff gained valuable experience and skills which will increase our effectiveness and abilities in future prescribed burns and other wildland fire events.”

MassWildlife staff are reporting positive observations of this wildfire on forest vegetation and wildlife habitat. Three weeks after the fire, monitoring crews have already seen oak trees greening up with re-sprouting leaves along with ferns, grasses, and herbs emerging from the ashes and bare ground. The area will be monitored over time and can provide valuable information regarding the vegetation response to this wildfire.

Yesterday the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that they have elevated the risk level for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in Wareham from moderate to high. In total, the agency found 10 new mosquito samples that tested positive for the virus in Wareham and Carver, another town that is also at “high” risk.

The “high” status means that those who live in a community with the elevated status are asked to severely limit their time outdoors during peak feeding hours, from dusk to dawn.

For Bristol County Raynham and Taunton are the only towns or cities that have an elevated status and are considered at “moderate” risk.

Currently, there is one confirmed human case of EEE in Massachusetts.

EEE virus is a rare cause of brain infections (encephalitis) typically spread to humans via a mosquito bite. Approximately 30% of people with EEE die and many survivors have ongoing neurologic problems.

Chris Van Buskirk
State House News Service

The City of Boston delivered nearly $5.8 million in overtime pay to police in connection with shifts associated with the wave of protests in May, June, and July where thousands gathered to object to police brutality and systemic racism, the News Service has learned.

The outlays, obtained in response to a public records request, show OT spiked in June when officers were paid $5.3 million for a total of 82,054 overtime hours worked. The month featured several large gatherings outside the State House and protests in Nubian Square and Franklin Park.

“There is a tremendous irony here … which is that protests against too much and too racist policing have been turned into a huge revenue opportunity for police in Boston and elsewhere,” said Boston University political science professor Spencer Piston.

The spending covers pay for additional, extended, or replacement shifts to monitor demonstrations over the three months. The $5.8 million is roughly 9.5 percent of the $60.8 million appropriated for paying overtime hours in fiscal 2020 and represents a total of 88,893 overtime hours worked over the three-month period.

Police spending has drawn significant scrutiny over the past several months and some advocates have called on the city to reallocate funding from the police to other city programs. Mayor Martin Walsh responded in early June by declaring racism a public health crisis and announcing a plan to move $12 million in police overtime spending to other programs like housing security and violence prevention.

“What is at the heart of this is people in communities of color, particularly Black communities that have been over-policed, violently policed and policed in discriminatory ways, demanding justice,” said Rahsaan Hall, ACLU of Massachusetts Racial Justice Program director. “And one of the greatest indicators of a society is where it spends its money. And if people in communities are demanding justice, and our budget shows that we are spending more money in policing those demands for justice, that we’re headed in the wrong direction.”

Overtime spending on police in Boston, which has regularly hosted large events, has become commonplace.

Boston police operating needs for fiscal 2019 ran just over $400 million with overtime hours costing nearly $70 million, according to city records. From fiscal 2017 to fiscal 2019, OT spending within the department has grown by almost $10 million. The department spent $54 million on overtime through March of fiscal 2020.

Police officials previously said the department works to backfill at least 94 positions a day to meet mandatory minimum staff levels, according to a Boston Globe report.

Since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, the department has deployed more police to large events, Sgt. Det. John Boyle, a spokesman for the BPD, said Tuesday.

“There’s more special events and at these special events they are required to have more officers,” he said.

In recent years, the department spends more on overtime than it is appropriated for that purpose, although many factors could contribute to the increased expenditures. For example, in fiscal 2017, the city appropriated $55.6 million for overtime costs and the department spent $60.3 million.

Under the collective bargaining agreement between the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association and the city, if an officer is called back to their unit after already leaving for the day then they are guaranteed a minimum of four hours of overtime recall pay. As it relates to protest response for the three months, the city of Boston paid $4.2 million for additional call-outs or tours.

“We know that the estimates that the Boston Police Department makes for what it will spend on overtime are meaningless because the collective bargaining agreement requires them to pay officers,” Hall said. “Then there are kind of departmental staffing levels that they bind themselves to, that require them to pay overtime to people so that they can have the appropriate staffing levels.”

Countless protests occurred across the state and in Boston shortly after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. Demonstrators often chanted “Black lives matter” and “I can’t breathe,” a reference to Floyd’s final words, as they walked through city streets.

A peaceful protest on May 31 ended in the dusk hours and gave way to violence in downtown Boston that carried on into the early morning hours of June 1.

The city spent $391,629 in May for 5,717 overtime hours worked staffing protests although it is unclear how much of that was associated with the May 31 protest. Overtime pay tied to protests totaled $71,806 in July, with 1,122 overtime hours worked.

New Bedford City Hall will reopen on a limited basis beginning Monday, August 10, 2020, in order to provide in-person services at the Treasurer’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, and Elections Office, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Sixth Street entrance will be the only public entrance to the building.

Access will be strictly limited to three first-floor offices: the Treasurer’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, and Elections Office, as these three offices conduct bill and tax payment and vital records and licenses for city residents. No appointment is needed for general inquiries and document requests at these three offices. Residents should call ahead to these or other city departments with any questions.

Clear directions will be in place to allow for safe social distancing in the building. Strong health and safety requirements will be in place at City Hall to protect residents and employees. In addition to mandatory mask use and social distancing, physical barriers have been installed to ensure the safety of visitors and city employees. Department staff have been trained on best practices to promote health and hygiene, and the building is being sanitized frequently.

Due to the pandemic, residents are still encouraged to pay any bills by mail, by phone, or online whenever possible. Payments can be made online at the City’s website, www.newbedford-ma.gov, and selecting ‘Pay Bills’ directly on the home page. To mail payments, residents can use the mailing address printed on their bills or mail their bills directly to the City Treasurer at the following address:

City Hall – Treasurer’s Office
133 William Street, Room 103
New Bedford, MA 02740

The City is committed to keeping all residents informed of the latest news. Follow the City’s social media pages, including Mayor Jon Mitchell’s and the City of New Bedford’s Facebook pages, tune in to New Bedford Cable Access on Channel 18, and visit the City website at www.newbedford-ma.gov for regularly updated news.

City departments other than Treasurer’s, City Clerk, and Elections, are still doing business by phone or online. No other city office is open to the public in-person at this time. Residents are encouraged to contact other city departments for any services they need.

City of New Bedford – Department Phone Numbers

Assessor: 508-979-1440
Cemetery: 508-979-1550
City Clerk: 508-979-1450
Council on Aging: 508-991-6250
Election Commission: 508-979-1420
Fire (non-emergency): 508-991-6124
Health: 508-991-6199
Inspectional Services: 508-979-1540
Police (non-emergency): 508-991-6300
Traffic: 508-979-1766
Trash: 508-979-1520
Treasurer: 508-979-1430

A 28-year-old Onset Fentanyl dealer arrested in New Bedford while already out on bail for for committing the same crime in Plymouth County was sentenced to serve three years in state prison on Monday, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Kayla Boutilier pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to an indictment charging her with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

On September 19, 2019, Massachusetts State Police pulled over a vehicle the defendant was a passenger in because the car had an expired inspection sticker and no license plates lights.

When the state trooper approached the vehicle, he observed hypodermic needles on the rear floorboard of the car. At that point, the Trooper asked the driver and the defendant to exit the vehicle. While the defendant was in the area of the hood of the car, she dropped a 16 gram bag of Fentanyl. Police also found a cut straw with a white powder stuck inside of it, in her jacket pocket.
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At the time of this incident, the defendant was already out on bail from an April 2019 arrest in Plymouth County on charges of possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl and illegal possession of ammunition.

“This case is yet another example of a defendant committing a serious crime while out on bail for the same offense,” District Attorney Quinn said.

Wareham Police officers responded to 367 Main Street at 1:42 p.m. on Tuesday for a vehicle struck a building. At the scene, emergency responders confirmed that a vehicle had gone directly into the building. There were no injuries; however the operator of the vehicle appeared to be highly intoxicated, and the building was severely damaged.

71-year old John P. Lopes, of Marion, was placed under arrest by officers Jennifer Braley and Calib Larue. He is charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, and failure to stop at a stop sign.

Chief of Police John Walcek said, “Incidents with people driving under the influence are very troubling. In these particular cases, we are lucky that no one was seriously injured or killed because of someone’s reckless conduct.” He added, “Our police department has zero tolerance for people who selfishly choose to endanger lives while behind the wheel.”

Shortly before midnight last night, members of the Lawrence Police Department requested State Police K9 and Air Wing assistance in locating occupants who fled from a vehicle after a pursuit.

The pursuit began with the operator of the vehicle striking a Police Officer, causing serious bodily injury. Massachusetts State Trooper Brian Soares and K9 Kantor responded to the scene along with Sergeant David Nims, Trooper Brandyn Henson, and other Troopers assigned to State Police Andover.

Upon their arrival, they were briefed of the situation and the last known whereabouts of the three suspects. Trooper Soares began a track of the suspects with the assistance of two Troopers and a Lawerence Police Officer. The track led them through wooded areas, fields, and a river. After approximately 1.5 miles K9 Kantor began to demonstrate a proximity alert and led Trooper Soares along a path behind a baseball field.

The Troopers followed the lead of K9 Kantor to an area where they observed a person face down in an effort to conceal himself in the woodline. Trooper Soares gave commands to the man to show his hands and come out of the woods or face K9 apprehension. The suspect complied and was taken into custody.

Additional Lawrence Police Officers traveled to their location and assumed custody of the suspect, later identified as ELISAMUEL FERNANDEZ PAGAN, 32, of Lawrence. A search continued for other suspects, however, none were immediately located.

The situation remains under investigation.