GREENFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT

Carla D. Holmstrom age 34 of Turners Falls Massachusetts WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY for the Robbery on May 7, 2010 of the Solar Express Tanning Store. Any information please contact the Greenfield Police Department at 413 773 5411.

Mayor reprioritizes FY11 budget: Calls for $300,000 less for police

Recorder/Peter MacDonald
Greenfield police officer Jeffrey Goulet approaches a vehicle with a citation during a traffic stop on Federal Street in (Greenfield.

Published: Tuesday, April 13, 2010

GREENFIELD -- The mayor's 2011 budget for police will leave the force prioritizing 'life calls' and leaving 'all else to wait,' said Greenfield Police Chief David Guilbault.

Mayor William Martin has sent the Town Council his proposed 2011 budget in which the Police Department takes the biggest financial blow of all departments at about $300,000 less than it received this year. Police received $2.9 million this year and Martin proposes a $2.6 million budget for next year.

Martin said his figure includes a 2 percent increase to officers to cover the change in the town's health insurance from a 90-10 employer-employee split to an 80-20 split.

'That agreement was made during the last administration and we have a moral obligation to fulfill it,' said Martin.

The budget also includes a 2 percent cost-of-living raise.

New charges for alleged home burglar

Published: Thursday, March 18, 2010

Miguel Q. Roman, 45, of 111A Conway St., has been charged in the most recent indictment with three counts of breaking and entering in the daytime in order to commit a felony, four counts of breaking and entering in the night in order to commit a felony, six counts of felony larceny, five counts of vandalism and one count each of larceny of a firearm, larceny under $250 and receiving stolen goods. He is also facing these charges as an habitual criminal, which means that if he is convicted as such, he could be imprisoned for the maximum term allowable by law.

For the full version of this story, you may purchase The Recorder electronically, by returning to the home page and clicking under ''E-Edition'' on the right side of your screen, or you can purchase the print edition, which is available throughout Franklin County, Massachusetts.

The Greenfield Police arrested an individual believed to have committed numerous breaking and entering of homes throughout Greenfield over an extended period of time.

On the 18th of December 2009 at approx-1833hrs the Greenfield Police Dispatch received a call from Sergeant Viorel Bobe of the Greenfield Police Department. Sergeant Bobe while off duty advised that he had been contacted by a neighbor who had informed him that she had heard glass breaking at a residence nearby. Sergeant Bobe requested that the Dispatch respond patrols into the area to handle.

 The suspect who has numerous alias names was arrested while found inside a home, he assaulted and injured a police officer while attempting to flee from the home and was apprehended  by Sgt Viorel Bobe, Det/Sgt Dan McCarthy and Officer Rian Graves. Property was found in a bag and a pillowcase inside the home left by the individual.

Numerous items of property were found in various locations in Greenfield during an extensive overnight investigation.

Questions or information related to the Investigation can be directed to Det/Sgt Dan McCarthy of the Greenfield Police Department.

413-773-5411.

Arrested was: MIGUEL Q ROMAN W AGE 45 111A CONWAY ST

GREENFIELD MA 01301

Roman was charged with:

1 BURGLARY, UNARMED N Felony

266/15/A 266 15

OCCURRED: 12/18/2009 1833

MODUS OPERANDI: Entry-Broke Door Glass

2 RESISTING ARREST N Misdemeanor

268/32B 268 32B

OCCURRED: 12/18/2009 1833

3 A&B ON POLICE OFFICER N Misdemeanor

265/13D/A 265 13D

OCCURRED: 12/18/2009 1833

WEAPON/FORCED USED: Personal Weapons (Hands/Feet/Etc)

4 ASSAULT & BATTERY BY DANGEROUS WEAPON N Felony

617 265 15A (B)

OCCURRED: 12/18/2009 1833

WEAPON/FORCED USED: Blunt Object

AGGR. ASSAULT/HOMICIDE: Assault on Law Enforcement Officer(s)

5 A&B ON POLICE OFFICER N Misdemeanor

265/13D/A 265 13D

OCCURRED: 12/18/2009 1833

WEAPON/FORCED USED: Personal Weapons (Hands/Feet/Etc)

6 A&B ON POLICE OFFICER N Misdemeanor

265/13D/A 265 13D

OCCURRED: 12/18/2009 1833

WEAPON/FORCED USED: Personal Weapons (Hands/Feet/Etc)

7 BURGLARIOUS INSTRUMENT, POSSESS N Felony

266/49/B 266 49

OCCURRED: 12/18/2009 1833

8 MALICIOUS/WANTON DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY N Felony

266/126/A 266 126A

9 FURNISHING FALSE NAME OR SSN TO POLICE OFFICER N Misdemeanor

268/34A 268 34A

OCCURRED: 12/18/2009 1833

FINE: 1000.00

10 LARCENY OVER $250 N Felony

266/30/A 266 30

OCCURRED: 12/18/2009 1833

MODUS OPERANDI: Entry-Broke Door Glass

Greenfield Police Department Nixle system has been launched!

Subject: New “Nixle” Community Information Service

The Greenfield Police has launched a new Community Notification Service called “Nixle” to improve communication with people who live, work, and visit our area.

The system provides a quick, efficient, and secure way to get neighborhood-level information out to community members who subscribe to the system. Through www.nixle.com, the department will be able to send text message (SMS) and e-mail alerts to subscribers in a specific area, down to .25 miles.

Notifications might be considered in the following instances:
? A young child or adult with Alzheimer’s disease walks away from their home. The alert can include a picture of the child or vulnerable adult with a map identifying the area at which they were last seen.
? A public safety emergency requires people to stay in or remain away from their homes. A Nixle alert can let residents with a registered address in the affected neighborhood know what’s happening, allowing residents to take a proactive role in their own safety.
? A serious injury or fatal crash in which traffic investigators close down the intersection for several hours during the morning commute. This situation might warrant a notification to subscribers who live or work in the area, encouraging them to select a different route to work.
? Other uses: Large-scale public works projects, traffic safety implications around large fire scenes, community events such as parades, fireworks, picnics, etc., details about a case of H1N1 (“swine flu”) in the area, utility outage advisories/boil orders

Through Nixle, we will deliver messages securely to citizens by e-mail and cell phone, supporting and expanding our community outreach efforts.

Obviously, the system will be most effective when we have large numbers of subscribers. Please spread the word about our use of the system and add this information to the bottom of your e-mail signature: “Up-to-the-minute updates from city agencies by e-mail and cell phone: www.nixle.com”

Nixle is a secure communications service available to municipal, county, and state government agencies. There is NO spam or advertising associated with Nixle Municipal Wire messages.

The system is free (standard text message rates apply for subscribers who do not have text plans with their cell phone providers).

Contact Information:

William Gordon
Patrol
413-773-5411
lt.gordon@yahoo.com

Greenfield police to replace sidearms

[ Originally published on: Monday, March 03, 2008 ]

Greenfield Police Capt. John Newton says that they decided to move away from the 9mm Glocks that they currently use to the new Smith & Wesson .45-caliber pistol partially because of the new gun's ''vastly greater stopping power'' and partially for other reasons.

''The .45 is a significantly larger bullet, but it also has much less over-penetration,'' he said.

Over-penetration occurs when a bullet goes through its target and hits something beyond.

The new Smith & Wesson .45-caliber pistol fires smoothly with relatively little kick, which allows for tight shot grouping.

The Greenfield police will use 10-round magazines with one in the chamber, giving them 11 rounds initially. The police also carry spare clips.

''Some people have grumbled that there are fewer rounds available than with the Glock 17, but the way I look at it, if you need more than 11 rounds, you have other problems,'' the captain said.

The Glock 17 carries 17 rounds.

Police say that no Greenfield officer has been forced to fire his weapon in the line of duty in the last 20 years. However, they are forced to draw their weapons during arrests frequently and recently guns have been found at a number of crime scenes.

''Our guys often have to take people into custody at gunpoint. We deal with some awfully bad guys sometimes,'' Newton said.

A little more than a year ago, according to police reports, a member of the narcotics task force, who is also a Greenfield detective, found himself facing a drug dealer who was pointing a loaded shotgun at his face.

''And, of course, there was the incident last year down at Allen and Beech streets with those knuckleheads firing the .45,'' the captain said.

In 2007, a group of young people involved in a dispute apparently got into a running gun battle in which one of the rounds fired penetrated the window frame of a home on Allen Street.

Newton said that police have far more occasion to come across firearms during the course of the day in 2008 than they did just a few years ago.

According to Newton, the department decided to make the transition now because the Glocks they are using are only 12 years old and still have good trade-in value.

''For just a couple of hundred dollars per gun we can switch over to the new standard,'' he said.

Part of the plan for the purchase of the new weapons is that the department has asked the police officers' association to provide the rest of the money for the acquisition.

''That way, when they retire, or are honorably separated from the department, they take the gun with them,'' the captain said.

According to Newton, part of the deal is that the department will pick up the cost for new holsters and magazine pouches.

Among the other advantages to the new Smith & Wesson pistol, police say, is that they are locally made, so if anything ever goes wrong it can be dealt with in just a couple of hours and repairs in-house are relatively simple.

''We can get the parts very easily. If something breaks, we can just drive down to Springfield, get the part and have the gun back in service in two hours.''

According to the captain, the new weapons also have no training issues as they function much the same as the pistols now being used.

If the police association agrees to the deal, the new side arms should be in service by midsummer.

You can reach George Claxton at:gclaxton@recorder.com or (413) 772-0261 Ext. 279

As economy turns down, crime goes up. But local police seeing some different trends

[ Originally published on: Monday, January 05, 2009 ]

However, some major larcenies, such as housebreaking and identity theft, have greatly increased.

''I ran the numbers recently for a community forum that we were doing and the (shoplifting) numbers have not gone up at all,'' said Greenfield Police Chief David Guilbault. ''Our numbers show a big increase in major larcenies, housebreaks and in electronic crime, such as identity theft.''

Since the end of September, according to police, there have been more than two dozen cases of identity theft reported in Franklin County, many of them allegedly perpetrated by the same man -- who is thought to have stolen people's mail and then used the information he acquired to establish credit accounts. He is also charged with altering checks and cashing them.

According to the Greenfield Police detective bureau, there have been 14 housebreakings in town, in an area reaching from Silver Street to Laurel Street, in the last two months.

''They have stolen jewelry, cash, coins, anything that is small and easily concealed,'' said Greenfield Police detective Lt. Joseph Burge.

Most of the break-ins in Greenfield have been forcible entries involving the breaking of windows or the glass in doors, police say, and they suspect most are being done by one criminal.

''He knows what he's after and he's quick about it,'' said Greenfield Police Lt. William Gordon.

Burge said that they have had cases in which people have heard glass breaking or seen someone suspicious and have not called it in for fear of bothering the police.

''Don't worry about bothering us; if you see someone who might be breaking into homes, call us,'' he urged.

''If you hear breaking glass or see someone lurking around the back of a house, call us. If you see someone suspicious hanging around in your neighbor's yard, call us!'' he said emphatically.

One description that police have gotten of a man who may be the burglar is a male 5 feet 7 inches tall, medium-build, with dark hair, cut close to the scalp.

Police say that the man has been seen in a black jacket with a hood and is sometimes seen riding a bicycle.

What Montague's seeing

Montague Police detective Brian Dobosz says that his town has also seen a number of break-ins in the last couple of months perpetrated by people who force house doors open with crowbars.

''We have had several of those just off Montague City Road,'' he said.

Retailers react

One local retailer, the manager of Foster's Supermarket, says that he has seen a slight increase in shoplifting, but his major losses from theft come from check fraud. ''If I could trade my salary for the amount that we lose in a year, believe me, I would,'' said Jason Deane, manager of Foster's.

According to Deane, the process for recovering money lost through bad checks is expensive, complex and bureaucratic and often produces no actual recompense.

''Even when the court orders them to pay, they usually don't,'' he said.

Deane says that people often think that they are only stealing from some faceless corporation, when they are actually stealing from their neighbors.

''When we catch people I point to the cashiers and the people stocking the shelves and say, 'Those are the people you are stealing from.'

''When people get laid off, or don't get raises, or don't get bonuses, this is why,'' he said sadly.

The association's national crime trends survey gathered observations from 52 of what they call the largest and fastest-growing retailers in the United States, running the gamut from grocery stores, drug stores and mass merchants to specialty apparel, electronics and appliance and fabric and craft retail stores. Focusing on the time period associated with the current economic downturn, autumn of 2007 to autumn of 2008, the survey sought to identify corresponding trends in illegal activity.

According to the report, crimes of opportunity as well as more sophisticated organized retail crimes are increasing across all segments of the retail market.

Among the national findings: 84 percent of respondents report an increase in theft/amateur shoplifting, 76 percent say they've seen an increase in financial fraud, 80 percent note increases in organized retail crime, and 77 percent of specialty retailers say they've experienced increases in organized crime activity.

Greenfield police Capt. John Newton said that one always expects an increase in theft when there is a downturn in the economy.

''And, you are going to see more of this,'' he said.

Mike Piziak, of Big Y Supermarket in Greenfield, says that he has not seen any increase in shoplifting, but he says that he has always had a rather steady problem with that kind of theft, both by opportunistic thieves and organized groups.

''We have a certain amount of shoplifting based on our location, right next to (Interstate) 91. It's easy for people to hop off the highway, grab something and hop back on.

''I can't say that I've seen an increase based on a downturn in the economy,'' he said.

According to Piziak, the thefts from his store have not primarily been foodstuffs or other items that people would need to keep themselves alive through the winter.

''Most of the things that we see stolen are health and beauty items and baby formula,'' he said.

According to police, shoplifters steal baby formula both because it can be used as a ''cutting agent'' to mix with cocaine and because it can be sold as a high-priced item in other towns.

''You often see it sold as a commodity to small corner stores in Springfield and Holyoke,'' Guilbault said.

Reported rises in organized retail crime suggest a troubling long-term issue, according to the retail association.

Organized retail crime involves sophisticated crime rings that steal and stockpile large amounts of merchandise that they then sell to often unwitting buyers through flea markets, swap meets, pawn shops and, increasingly, Internet auction sites.

You can reach George Claxton at: gclaxton@recorder.com or (413)-772-0261 Ext. 279

2 bodies found: State, local police investigate suspicious deaths in Greenfield

[ Originally published on: Thursday, July 19, 2007 ]

First Assistant District Attorney Renee Steese said that the dead are a man and a woman. Their identities had not been released at press time.
Related:
Police name 'person of interest'

Police tape off scene, close street

The deaths appear to have occurred under suspicious circumstances and are now being investigated by state police detectives from District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel's office and members of the Greenfield Police.

Police have named Robin Anthony Hoose, the resident of the apartment in question, as a person of interest in the deaths, but no one has yet been named as a suspect.

'The public is not in any danger at this time,' said Greenfield Police Lt. Gary Magnan. 'He is not on the loose.'

Magnan would not say where Hoose is and whether he is in police custody.

Hoose, who is well known to police in the area, has been arrested in the past for violent crimes including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Although the matter is being investigated as a homicide, police say that there is no need for the public to worry as the situation is 'entirely contained' and there is no random murderer on the loose.

If this case proves to be a double homicide, it will be the first in Franklin County in more than a quarter century.

'Anyone with information about these deaths should contact the Greenfield Police Department at (413) 773-5411,' she said.

Police have declined to talk about most aspects of the investigation.

According to police, the bodies were discovered by Greenfield Police Lt. Joseph Burge, who was performing a welfare check on people in the house.

'He went in, found the bodies and backed out again to call in everybody else,' said Greenfield Police Capt. John Newton.

The initial call for the welfare check came about 11 a.m. from the Montague Police, who had received information that there was trouble at the Washington Street address.

Soon after the call went out about the bodies, Washington Street was shut down from Russell Street to a point just up the slope from Deerfield Street.

On Wednesday, amid intermittent showers, people from Washington Street and Deerfield Street gathered in small crowds under lowering skies to speculate about what had happened in the white clapboard building that was barricaded behind police tape.

A number of other people who were nearby during the discussion declined to speak once they found out that Hoose was the topic of discussion.

Most recently, Hoose was arrested on charges of robbery, car theft, attempted kidnapping and breaking and entering for an incident in December of 2006 in which he allegedly forced his ex-girlfriend into her own car as she was leaving work.

Throughout the day, neighbors wandered in and out of their homes to get a look at the proceedings on Washington Street, but there was not much to be seen as police were waiting for a search warrant from the court before entering the apartment. By 9:30 they still hadn't received one.

'This takes time,' said Magnan. 'It can be a slow process. We hope to have the search warrant in the next few hours. Then we'll be able to go in, remove the bodies and investigate. We're thinking we'll be off the scene by early morning and then back (Thursday morning).'

The last two cases of homicide that occurred in Greenfield all took place within a quarter of a mile of the latest incident, including the strangulation death of Paula Greene on Deerfield Street in 1999 and the murder of Anthony Alves in 2004.

Alves was killed by four men wielding swords and knives. All of the killers later pleaded guilty and have been sent to prison.

Marcel Greene, the suspect in the Paula Greene slaying, committed suicide while in jail awaiting trial.

The most recent murder in Franklin County was about two years ago -- the strangulation of a pregnant Sunoco station attendant in Deerfield in April of 2005. The accused in that case, Dennis M. Bateman of Greenfield, was sentenced to life.

You can reach George Claxton at: gclaxton@recorder.com or (413) 772-0261 Ext. 279

12 arrested in drug raid

Recorder/Paul Franz
A suspect is led into the Franklin County Courthouse Tuesday after a drug raid.

 

 

[ Originally published on: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 ]

On Tuesday morning, police put an end to the charade as they arrested a dozen people and held warrants for several more who are said to be involved in the cocaine trafficking ring out of Leyden Woods.

Members of the regional drug task force and Greenfield Special Response Team officers dressed in digital camouflage and body armor moved in before dawn and swarmed over four homes in the Leyden Woods complex where they seized at least 55 grams of cocaine and more than a pound of marijuana.

'This was part of an investigation that was going on for a month and a half during which there were a number of hand-to-hand sales made to undercover officers,' said Greenfield detective Lt. Joseph Burge.

Burge particularly praised the work of the UMass Amherst and Hadley police departments who did much of the undercover work during the operation.

According to prosecutors, who spoke during the arraignments of multiple defendants on Tuesday, police set up housekeeping in the Leyden Woods complex in June and July and were approached by several people offering to sell them drugs such as marijuana and cocaine.

In one instance, according to police, two undercover officers were seated on lawn chairs outside a residence on Juniper Court when they were approached by Cheveka Maldonado who asked them if they would sell her their car before asking them if they would be interested in buying some marijuana from her.

Police say that she later sold them $20 worth of marijuana.

On Tuesday, Maldonado, 21, pleaded innocent to a charge of distributing drugs and was held on $2,500 cash bail.

Prosecutors asked for a relatively high bail for Maldonado because of her criminal history, which included probation defaults from when she was 14 and 15 years old. She also has an adult record for assault and battery and disorderly conduct on which she violated her probation after sentencing.

The largest bail of the day, $100,000 cash, was awarded to Edwin Ramirez, 28, who gave various addresses to police including 10 Lilac Court and 161 Park Avenue, N.Y., N.Y.

Ramirez is facing charges of trafficking in cocaine 28 to 100 grams, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, illegal possession of ammunition and illegal possession of a firearm. He pleaded innocent to the charges.

A woman who lives in the same Greenfield home as Ramirez, Larissa Howard, 23, of 10 Lilac Court, was arrested at her job at the Poet Seat Nursing Home.

Howard has also been charged with trafficking in cocaine 28 to 100 grams, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, illegal possession of ammunition and illegal possession of a firearm. She pleaded innocent to the charges and was held on $1,000 cash bail.

Police say that when they searched the apartment at 10 Lilac Court they found 55 grams of crack cocaine, around 1 pound of marijuana, a large amount of cash, which prosecutors say amount to nearly $2,000, a handgun clip and a dismantled Baretta pistol.

According to prosecutors, another man who was caught in the police net on Tuesday was trying to purchase a number of handguns by trading cocaine for weapons.

Anthony J. Saucer, 29, of 108 Aster Court, is charged with a single count of distribution of cocaine, but police say that while they were doing the hand-to-hand drug deal with him, Saucer told them that he would trade them a significant amount of cocaine if they could obtain for him several .40 caliber pistols. He pleaded innocent to the charge and was held on $15,000 cash bail.

According to prosecutors, Saucer has a long record of convictions, including 10 violent crimes, and has already served a five- to seven-year prison term for robbery.

Saucer was arrested before the deal for the firearms went through.

Jonathan Olan, 19, of 40 Lilac Court, has been charged with multiple counts of possession of cocaine and distribution of cocaine. He pleaded innocent and was held on $25,000 cash bail as prosecutors say that he was the source of the cocaine being distributed by several of the other people in the cocaine ring.

A Hope Street man, who claims to have graduated from Amherst College and to have been a trustee for GCC, was arraigned Tuesday on two charges of distribution of heroin and distribution of drugs in a school zone. William Franklin III, 55, of 143 Hope St., was held on $5,000 cash bail.

Marisol Torres, 22, of 2 Bayberry Court, was arraigned in district court and charged with distribution of cocaine. She pleaded innocent and was held on $2,500 cash bail.

Mildred Rodriguez, 38, of 62 Juniper Court, was arraigned on two counts of distribution of marijuana, possession of marijuana in order to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws. She pleaded innocent and was held on $1,000 cash bail.

Awilda Ramos, 24, of 46 Lilac Court, was arrested on a warrant for distribution of marijuana and possession of marijuana in order to distribute.

Edwin Ocasio-Ramos, 22, of 20 Juniper Court, was arrested on a warrant for distribution of marijuana.

Daniel Harris, 28, of 10 Parkway St., was arrested on a warrant for distribution of heroin.

At press time, police were still searching for Jeffrey Cancel Muniz, 28, who is wanted on charges of possession and distribution of marijuana and cocaine, Julissa Maldonado, 20, who is wanted on charges of possession and distribution of cocaine and Jeffrey Dillensneider, 58, who is wanted on charges of possession and distribution of heroin.

On Tuesday, the Greenfield police expressed their appreciation to the Franklin Hampshire Narcotics Task Force, the Montague Police Department, the state police, Gill Police Department, Deerfield Police Department, Hampshire County Sheriff's Office, the federal department of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Bernardston Police Department and the North Western District Attorney's office.

You can reach George Claxton at: gclaxton@recorder.com or (413) 772-0261 Ext. 279

Greenfield officers earn honors for bravery

[ Originally published on: Saturday, October 04, 2008 ]

Greenfield Police Sgt. Viorel Bobe and patrolman Jason Haskins have received commendations from the police chief for bravery in the arrest of Christopher E. Santana on the night of Sept. 14.

According to Greenfield Police Chief David Guilbault, the two officers managed to capture 'an obviously enraged individual' who threatened the lives of both the police and several civilian residents of the town.

'This incident could easily have led to a death, or serious bodily injury if not for the actions and judgment that these men displayed. They showed courage while faced with the threat of serious bodily injury while wrestling the weapons away from Santana before he could injure other people, or himself,' the chief said.

According to police records, the officers were called to 25 Forbes Court shortly before 2:30 on the morning of Sept. 14 for reports of Santana disturbing the peace.

Neighbors reported that Santana was repeatedly driving back and forth through the neighborhood gunning his engine and then stopping the vehicle and beating on it with a tire iron.

When police arrived, according to reports, Santana, 19, of 25 Forbes Court was involved in a loud argument with his mother who was pleading with him to calm down.

As the officers approached, police say, Santana reached into his car and brought out two large kitchen knives that he began to wave around in a threatening manner.

'He suddenly rushed around the front of the dark sedan in the direction of officer Haskins,' Bobe wrote in his report, noting that both he and Haskins, at that point, drew their pistols.

According to police, Santana began to scream at the officers, call them vile names and threaten to kill them.

Santana's mother begged police not to shoot her son, and neighbors flooded out of their homes to plead with the youth to put the knives down before police were forced to gun him down, according to police.

'Good, that's what I want them to do,' Santana was quoted as saying.

According to Bobe, Santana prowled back and forth around his car, striking it from time to time with the flat of his blades.

While the suspect was thus involved, the sergeant told Haskins to holster his gun and draw his Taser stun gun.

'At this time Chris began screaming 'You want to tase me & Go ahead. Go ahead, I'll kill you,'' Bobe wrote in his report.

Police say that Santana charged at the sergeant who warned him that he might be shot if he did not drop the knives.

Santana responded, police say, by placing the knives against his own throat and threatening to kill himself.

The youth's mother again pleaded with her son to drop the knives, but he just squatted on the ground and slammed the blades against the pavement with such force that one of the knives broke off an inch or two below the hilt.

With the help of Santana's mother, the police were eventually able to stun the youth, wrestle him to the ground and take the knives away.

The young man was charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of threat to commit a crime (murder), disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest.

Santana has been held without bail as a danger to society and is scheduled to return to court later this month for further hearings.

You can reach George Claxton at: gclaxton@recorder.com or (413) 772-0261 Ext. 279

'... Just trying to do my job': Officer Jeffrey Goulet called hero for running into burning building

[ Originally published on: Saturday, September 22, 2007 ]

'I got over there as fast as I could and as I came around the corner, I could see people yelling and screaming and pointing to Building 18,' he said.

Among the things that the neighbors were saying was that there were still people inside the two-story brick structure that was belching thick, black smoke.

'When they said there were still people inside, I ran into the building. It was full of smoke and I could dimly see the glow of the fire,' he said.

On the floor of the upstairs hallway, Goulet encountered Harwood 'Michael' Lucier, 55, of apartment 4A, who lived across the parking lot in the same complex for elderly and disabled residents, which is located near Foster's Super Market. Lucier had gone into Building 18 to alert people who had not yet escaped from the structure.

'He suffered second- and third-degree burns on both hands and up one arm,' said Greenfield Police detective Todd Clark, who was present on Friday to assist fire investigators.

Authorities say that Lucier may also have suffered respiratory problems from smoke inhalation.

'When I found him, he said he couldn't breathe so I pulled him out and dragged him down the stairs. I apologized to him later for dragging him, but it was the only way I could think of to get him out of the building.

'I tried to go back in after the woman (still inside a second-floor apartment), but the smoke was too thick and I had to run out again,' Goulet said Friday.

Lucier was taken first to a hospital in Greenfield before being transferred to the burn unit at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester where he was listed in serious condition on Friday. In addition to the burns on his arms, people who know him say that Lucier is also on a ventilator because of the smoke inhalation damage to his lungs.

Most of the people who live in the structure that burned are over 60, according to Judy Hastings, who works for the Greenfield Housing Authority, which owns the project.

Lucier's sister-in-law, Lisa Lucier, said he served in the Navy in the early '70s and was stationed in Hawaii for some time.

On Friday, Lisa Lucier and her daughter, Theresa, were outside Lucier's apartment, getting ready to go back to the hospital.

Lisa Lucier said her brother-in-law lived alone with his Chihuahua, Oscar, and has been living at Elm Terrace on and off for about 12 years, leaving once to live out West for about a year.

Lucier's neighbor, Gail White, of apartment 21A, said Lucier loves living at Elm Terrace. 'He comes to my apartment at least five times a day,' she said.

She said everyone wants his address at the hospital and to know how he is doing. 'They all want to send him get-well cards.'

According to Lisa Lucier, Lucier has one son and a daughter. He comes from a big family, having three brothers and three sisters.

She said he has a disability that causes seizures. Hastings said that there are 108 apartments in the complex off Elm Street, with one or two people in each apartment.

'They are mostly one person per apartment, but we do have some couples,' she said.

Each freestanding structure comprises eight apartments, organized in groups of four separated by a fire wall. In Building 18, the area where the fire was, all four apartments have now been vacated and the five people who were living there have gone to stay with relatives or have made other arrangements.

'For three of the apartments, it will take about a week to clean them up, but 18C, where the fire was, is totaled; that one will have to be completely rehabilitated,' Hastings said. The fire was contained to that second-floor apartment although there was extensive smoke, heat and water damage elsewhere.

The resident of that apartment, Evon Tefft, said at the scene Thursday night that when she felt heat and saw a glow near her bathroom, she activated an alarm and left the building.

In another case of good fortune, Hastings said a cat named Cocoa, who belonged to one of the residents in the burned building, was rescued.

'The owner was so happy. That cat is like her baby,' she said.

Police rescue

Goulet, 31, who has been on the Greenfield police force for two years, said that he has never received training on how to rescue people from a burning building, but that didn't stop him from going inside.

'I was just trying to do my job,' he said.

Susan Bennett, a retired nurse who lives in the complex, said that she did not know whether the woman who was still in the building after Lucier had been pulled out had been overcome by smoke until she saw her peeking out of an upstairs window.

'All I could see was her little face poking out against the screen,' Bennett said.

The fire department later rescued the trapped woman by using a ladder.

The former nurse said that Goulet was a hero for what he did to save people in the fire.

'He was in there as long as he could stand it and then he came running out,' she said.

According to Bennett, she became worried about the residents who fled the building because the night was cool and many of the elderly people who lived in the structure were left shivering in the night air.

The former nurse said that she always has a feeling of safety in the buildings at Elm Terrace because the structures are solid brick and very sturdy.

'I guess we sometimes forget that there are things inside that will burn,' she said.

According to Hastings, all of the buildings at Elm Terrace have smoke and heat detectors in the apartments and in the hallways.

'The fire alarm rings through automatically to the Fire Department,' Hastings said.

Greenfield Deputy Fire Chief Robert Strahan said that he could hear the alarm sounding at the building when he arrived Thursday night around 10 p.m.

Strahan said that they were first alerted to the fire by a 911 call reporting smoke and flames visible through the window.

The deputy fire chief said that an aggressive interior attack on the fire knocked the flames down pretty quickly.

Greenfield Fire investigator John Whitney said that, once they were able to get inside the building and look around they saw that the smoke detector in the hall had been melted by the heat from the blaze and the smoke detector in the apartment was on the floor and melted.

'We do not know the cause of the fire as yet, but we do have a point of origin,' he said.

You can reach George Claxton at: gclaxton@recorder.com or (413) 772-0261 Ext. 279

She's out to make a lasting impression

[ Originally published on: Monday, July 02, 2007 ]

''I enjoy working with kids because it's one of the best places to make an impression,'' she said ''I try to instill in them the idea that there are adults, other than those related to them, that care about them (and) look to them to be future leaders.''

''It's important for them to feel validated, that their opinions are valid and that they do have a voice in the community.''

Scott works as management assistant to the police chief. She also serves on the Youth Commission and the mayor's Task Force for a Domestic Violence Free Greenfield, helps run teen dances at the Youth Center, helps out at the skateboard park, teaches Owning-Up, a course for middle school girls aimed at empowering them against youth violence and writes grants for police- and youth-related programs.

She said it's her fellow Youth Commission members, the Police Department and the mayor, who make her job and volunteering run smoothly. ''It definitely makes it easier to do, having a great group of people to work with,'' Scott said.

''The work she does is a tremendous benefit for the community,'' said police Chief David Guilbault. ''She's one of those people that actually does it instead of talking about it.''

Her work affects youth who normally don't get attention from anyone else, which makes those youths less likely to get in trouble, he said.

''It works for our purposes because then we don't have to deal with them later on. If it wasn't for people like her, we'd have a lot greater problems than we have now.''

Mayor Christine Forgey said, ''She is continually working behind the scenes. I've known her to put in 90-hour work weeks just to serve the community and make sure all the needs are being met.''

''She does it with a glad heart. She is available and always willing to provide help.''

Forgey said she sometimes worries that Scott works too much.

Scott said she puts in about 70 hours into her job and volunteering, but she said she doesn't mind the long hours. ''It's what I choose to do with my free time.''

One program Scott helps with is one where juvenile offenders work off their probation with community service projects and get help completing high school or getting a General Equivalency Diploma.

''They're really good kids and really hard workers -- considering they're not there by choice,'' Scott said.

''They assume a lot of adults think they are bad kids simply because they made a bad decision.''

She said she tries to change that perception and encourage them to make good choices about things like what people they hang around with and whether to experiment with alcohol or drugs.

''Between 12 and 18, a lot of decisions you make set your course for the rest of your life,'' Scott said. ''You can always change, but it's harder.''

When she isn't volunteering or working, Scott attends Greenfield Community College -- where she is studying for a business administration degree. Once she completes that degree, she plans to transfer to University of Massachusetts at Amherst for a four-year program.

Last month, Scott was among the 18 area women to be named an Unsung Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission Status on Women.

Forgey said the award recognized ''women who don't make the news, but truly make a difference. We wanted to show our appreciation and we want her accomplishments to be known on a higher level.''

Scott said of the award, ''I feel very honored and humbled.''

You can reach Arn Albertini at: aalberti@recorder.com or (413) 772-0261 Ext. 264