This photo shows the knife a man was carrying during a domestic. Police found the knife concealed in the small of the man’s back when they arrested him

Photo Credit: LPD

The Massachusetts State Police Helicopter “Air Two” provides air support to teams of Leicester and State Police officers who along with State Police K-9’s were tracking a suspect wanted for breaking into a Pine Street residence.

Photo Credit: LPD

LEICESTER, Mass. — Being a police officer is like no other job in the world.   It can best be described as having a ringside seat to the greatest show on earth every day.   As you read the accounts set forth in the LPD update, it is important to remember:

We could not make this stuff up if we tried.

No one lies to the police.

The names of the individuals involved in the cases discussed in this column have not been published to protect their identity.


House and Car Break Update

The LPD continues to work diligently to combat housebreaks in our community.  During the past two weeks there were three housebreaks, one business break and one car break in the community.  I am continuing to ask residents and business owners to call and report any suspicious activity they observe in the community to the police department.   These calls do make a difference……..


The LPD caught a significant break in its efforts to curb housebreaks in our community when a local resident called and reported that a suspicious male had knocked on his door, and, when no one answered, the man then walked around his home before abruptly leaving.  

The first responding officer spoke with the caller and was able to ascertain a description of the motor vehicle in which the man was seen. 

The officer then conducted a sweep of the neighborhood and located a vehicle matching the description, given by the caller, parked further down the street with a female seated behind the wheel.  The officer inquired why the woman was in the area and she stated she was knocking on doors asking for directions to a local street that did not exist……interesting when you consider the woman grew up in Leicester. 

A second officer arrived at the scene and began checking houses in the area, quickly discovering that the rear door to one house had been kicked in and the television was moved over by the door for quick removal.   Officers entered the home but the suspect had already fled.  

State Police quickly sent several K-9 units and the officers tracked the suspect for a considerable distance.  

The helicopter was brought in to assist in locating the suspect.   As police chased the suspect, the female operating the vehicle was given a ride to the police station and the vehicle impounded. 

After a 2 ½ hour search, the suspect eluded local and state police.  The LPD applied for and received a search warrant for the impounded motor vehicle which was secured in the LPD garage. 

The search of that motor vehicle resulted in property being recovered from three other housebreaks that had recently occurred in surrounding communities.  I would like to thank the caller who initially alerted police to the suspicious vehicle….your call made a difference for our community.


Noteworthy Arrests and Incidents

I Need Help, I Need Help, Oh You’re a Cop….Forget It - An LPD officer on routine patrol in an unmarked cruiser was traveling up Rt. 9 at 1 AM during a recent snow storm. 

As the officer approached Collier’s Corner on Rt. 9, a male ran out into the middle of the road waving his arms.  Now remember I said the officer was in an unmarked cruiser.   The man waived his arms frantically and stood in the middle of the road in a veiled attempt to slow or block the vehicle. 

The officer slowed his cruiser down and lowered his heavily tinted window not knowing what this man wanted.  

The man quickly offered the officer, who was in full uniform, cash if he would use his vehicle (the cruiser) to pull the man’s vehicle out of the snow bank that it was stuck in after the man drove off the road.  

As the man approached, he realized that he had just stopped an unmarked cruiser with a uniformed police officer operating it…..STRIKE #1.  The man quickly changed his tune upon seeing the officer.  

He went from offering money for help pulling his vehicle out of the snow bank to insisting that he was all set and everything was fine in less than a sentence.  He also suddenly denied he was driving the vehicle telling that his phantom friend was operating and he had gone for help.  

The officer noted in his report that footprints in the snow made a trail from the driver’s door of the vehicle directly to the  man……STRIKE #2.  

The LPD officer recognized that the man appeared to be under the influence and when questioned about who owned the vehicle he simply admitted that he had taken it without the owner’s permission……aaahhhhh, yes, the refreshing truth………but it is still STRIKE #3.   The man was arrested for using a motor vehicle without authority.  

So this is where everyone thinks the story ends………but, remember we can’t make this stuff up.  

After the man was arrested and prior to his being placed in a cruiser for transportation to the station, an officer conducted a pat frisk of the man.   The officer felt a bulge in the man’s clothing and the officer checked further and found a large quantity of jewelry in his pockets.  

So the man was driving a vehicle he took without permission so it was no big leap of faith to theorize that he took the jewelry without authority also.   A follow up investigation revealed that he did in-fact steal the jewelry.  He faces a long list of criminal charges.  He was transported to the East Brookfield Court later that morning for arraignment.  His case is currently pending and I will keep you informed of any news pertaining to his prosecution.

It Is Never A Good Idea To Bring A Knife To A Domestic Disturbance – This message obviously did not trickle down to a local man whose girlfriend called police at 2:30 AM recently to report that he was walking down the street drunk, carrying a knife after they had a domestic dispute……I think that is easily STRIKE #1 and STRIKE #2 all in one. 

Several LPD officers were dispatched to call and as the officers pulled up to the woman’s residence, she was yelling that her boyfriend was in the back of her home trying to get into the house….STRIKE #3.   Officers located the man, who had now concealed the knife in his waistline near the small of his back……STIKE #4 which shows how patient the officers were with this man.  

He was arrested and charged with a number of offenses.   The investigation revealed that the domestic disturbance began when the man came home from work drunk and his girlfriend found a pawn shop receipt showing he had stolen three of her rings and pawned them for cash……..STRIKE #....oh, forget it….he’s already had four strikes and has been arrested. 

This guy should just give up.

One Domestic With Two Bad Decisions By This Guy – Officers responded to a call reporting a domestic disturbance where the woman reported that she had been struck by her husband.  

Officers responding to the domestic determined that disturbance began when the woman’s husband learned that their 20 something daughter had invited her new boyfriend over and the woman’s husband did not like strangers in his home.  Enraged he struck the woman who called out to her daughter. 

The daughter in turn called the police but while she was doing so, the man struck her, knocking the phone out of her hand.  So before the police had even arrived this guy had struck out.   The officers arrived at the scene and quickly took the man into custody.  There is no other way to put it….This guy needs help and/or jail for this type of behavior!!


This Guy Should Have Taken The Break He Got And Left – A Worcester resident, who was located parked in the fire lane outside a local business, got a $200 break when the officer gave him a verbal warning and had him move the vehicle from the fire lane.  The officer left and continued on patrol. 

A short while later, as the she patrolled down Rt. 9, the officer observed a vehicle tailgating her.   FYI …..it is never a good idea to tailgate a marked police cruiser.   Compounding the issue is the officer recognized the vehicle and its operator as the one that had moments earlier been asked to leave the fire lane. 

The officer stopped the motor vehicle and requested the operator’s license and registration.  The man could not produce a license but he rattled off his personal information to the officer.   The officer plugged the information into the cruiser’s on board computer and quickly determined that the man had provided a false name.  So this guy went from getting a break to getting put in handcuffs……….some people just don’t get it.


Disclaimer

The opinions set forth in this article are those of Chief James Hurley and do not represent the opinions of the Town of Leicester or other members of the Leicester Police Department.

Thank You

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the residents of the community for their continued support of the police department and also to thank all the men and women of the LPD for the professional and effective work they do in the community.
                                                                
                                                                Chief Jim Hurley e/s
                     
                                                                                      Leicester Police Department