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Trapped For 20 Years: Police Detail Life Of CT Man Held Captive By Stepmom Trapped For 20 Years: Police Detail Life Of CT Man Held Captive By Stepmom
Trapped For 20 Years: Police Detail Life Of CT Man Held Captive By Stepmom The numbers are chilling.  A 32-year-old man, standing five feet nine inches tall and weighing just 68 pounds, was forced to live in an 8-by-9-foot room for 20 years.  All because his 56-year-old stepmother said so, Waterbury police said. Kimberly Sullivan was arrested this week and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons, and first-degree reckless endangerment, police said. She was released from jail on Thursday after posting a $300,000 bond. Original Report: Waterbury Woman Held Stepson Captive For 20 Y…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Dog Shoots Owner After Getting Paw Stuck In Gun, Police Say Dog Shoots Owner After Getting Paw Stuck In Gun, Police Say
Dog Shoots Owner After Getting Paw Stuck In Gun, Police Say An American dog owner was accidentally shot by his pet in a freak incident rarely seen involving animals and firearms. Officers responded to a home in Memphis, Tennessee on Whitney Avenue at 3:50 a.m. Monday, March 10, where they found the victim with a gunshot wound to his left thigh, according to the police report first detailed by WMC-TV Action News 5. He told police he had been lying in bed with a female friend when his 1-year-old pit bull jumped onto the bed and got its paw stuck in the trigger guard, causing the weapon to fire. The victim’s friend left the scene before officers arriv…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Missing CT Man’s Car Found In Mass River, Police Search Intensifies Missing CT Man’s Car Found In Mass River, Police Search Intensifies
Missing CT Man’s Car Found In Mass River, Police Search Intensifies A car driven by a missing 26-year-old Connecticut man was found at the bottom of a river in Massachusetts after he vanished over the weekend following a party there, police said. The search for him continues. Daniel Callahan was last seen by friends late Saturday, March 8, after attending a gathering in Chicopee, Massachusetts. When he failed to return home to East Windsor, his family grew concerned and contacted police early the next morning. As East Windsor police launched a missing person investigation, Chicopee police responded just after midnight Sunday to a report of a possible person…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Massachusetts Sex Offender Hides Out In Pennsylvania, Attacking Officer: DA Massachusetts Sex Offender Hides Out In Pennsylvania, Attacking Officer: DA
Massachusetts Sex Offender Hides Out In Pennsylvania, Attacking Officer: DA A convicted sex offender from New England who fled registration requirements in Vermont and Massachusetts was sentenced to state prison in Pennsylvania after committing a string of crimes over two days, including a hit-and-run, high-speed chase, and assaulting a police officer, authorities announced on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Nathan D. Taylor, 39, of New Holland, was sentenced to two and a half to five years in state prison, followed by five years of probation, after pleading guilty on Feb. 27 to indecent assault, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, accidents involving damage to an at…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Mass Man Impersonated Pennsylvania Police Officer To Run Construction Scam: Cops Mass Man Impersonated Pennsylvania Police Officer To Run Construction Scam: Cops
Mass Man Impersonated Pennsylvania Police Officer To Run Construction Scam: Cops A Massachusetts man is behind bars after state police say he tried to con his way into a Pennsylvania home by posing as a cop. Thomas Rooney, 25, was arrested in Hempfield Township after a resident called police about a suspicious encounter on Friday morning, Jan. 31. The victim told troopers that Rooney knocked on her door, identified himself as a Pittsburgh police officer, and asked to come inside. Three other men waited nearby in a pickup truck with Massachusetts plates, police said. They claimed to be from out of town and said they were selling gravel for driveways, which investigators …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Mass Man Admits To Killing Mother Of 2 In 2019 Fatal Stabbing: DA Mass Man Admits To Killing Mother Of 2 In 2019 Fatal Stabbing: DA
Mass Man Admits To Killing Mother Of 2 In 2019 Fatal Stabbing: DA A Worcester man will spend life in prison after admitting to the brutal 2019 murder of Jenifer Vazquez-Rivera, authorities announced on Monday, Jan. 6.   Thomas Bergstrom, 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and will be eligible for parole after 25 years, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. The sentence was agreed upon by the court and Vazquez-Rivera’s family, who supported the plea to shield her two young daughters from the trauma of testifying in a murder trial. “We know nothing can bring Jennifer back to her family, but we hope today’s plea brings some …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Worcester Teen Indicted On Murder Charge In Shooting That Caused Car To Crash Into Home: DA Worcester Teen Indicted On Murder Charge In Shooting That Caused Car To Crash Into Home: DA
Worcester Teen Indicted On Murder Charge In Shooting That Caused Car To Crash Into Home: DA A Worcester teen accused in a deadly shooting that led to a car crash into a house has been indicted for murder, authorities said.  Kayden M. Keane Hoffler, 17, was indicted by a Worcester County Grand Jury on Dec. 20, in the death of 19-year-old Eathan Renteria. Hoffler faces a single count of murder in connection with the April 30 shooting, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said.  The tragic events unfolded on Paine Street around 9 p.m. after Worcester police received reports of a car crashing into a home. Officers found Renteria in the driver’s seat of the vehicle…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Found Dead Near Mall In New England Man Found Dead Near Mall In New England
Man Found Dead Near Mall In New England A man was found dead in a secluded outdoor area near a Connecticut mall. Police in in New Haven County said the discovery occurred at about 2:25 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Brass Mill Center Mall in Waterbury.  Officers responding to reports of an unresponsive person located the body of the person in a remote area near the mall’s parking lot. The case is being treated as an untimely death.  Authorities are working with the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the official cause and manner of death. The identity of the person has not yet been release…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
3 Missing Eastern Mass. Kids Found Miles Away From Home: Police 3 Missing Eastern Mass. Kids Found Miles Away From Home: Police
3 Missing Eastern Mass. Kids Found Miles Away From Home: Police Three missing children from Stoughton were found safe in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood after state and local police brought on an aggressive campaign to locate them.  Stoughton Police sent out a statewide bulletin Friday, night, Nov. 22, that said Ashley Vazquez, 29, had taken her three children — ages 10, 9, and 8, authorities said. Officers were looking for her gray 2023 Toyota RAV4.  Investigators used geolocation technology to track the vehicle, ultimately leading to the safe recovery of the children around 10:30 p.m. The case remains under investigation. Police di…

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by Josh Lanier
Politics
Rally Rage: NY Trump Event's $1M Police Overtime Bill May Have Broken Finance Laws, Dems Argue Rally Rage: NY Trump Event's $1M Police Overtime Bill May Have Broken Finance Laws, Dems Argue
Rally Rage: NY Trump Event's $1M Police Overtime Bill May Have Broken Finance Laws, Dems Argue Who should foot the bill – taxpayers or the campaign? Democrats on Long Island are seething after learning that the extra-tight security measures around former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally at the Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday, Sept. 18, cost taxpayers $1 million in police overtime alone. Ahead of the rally – which came just days after what the FBI called an apparent second assassination attempt on Trump’s life in Florida – Nassau County leaders outlined the extensive security measures that were being taken around the arena. Earlier Report: Security Top Of Mind For Trump's …

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by Michael Mashburn
Politics
Security Top Of Mind For Trump's NY Campaign Rally, First Since Attempted Shooting Security Top Of Mind For Trump's NY Campaign Rally, First Since Attempted Shooting
Security Top Of Mind For Trump's NY Campaign Rally, First Since Attempted Shooting Security will be extra tight ahead of former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in New York, his first since an apparent second assassination attempt on his life. The Republican presidential nominee, age 78, will address supporters on Long Island at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18. It will mark his first visit to Nassau County since his presidential run in 2016. Earlier Report: Trump To Hold Campaign Rally In NY: Here's Where, When For local leaders, security around the event is top of mind. The Nassau County Police Department …

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Teen Threatened To Shoot Up Springfield School, Showed Gun: Police Teen Threatened To Shoot Up Springfield School, Showed Gun: Police
Teen Threatened To Shoot Up Springfield School, Showed Gun: Police A day after a 14-year-old boy opened fire in a Georgia high school killing four people, a 15-year-old in Massachusetts threatened to do the same at a school in Springfield, authorities said.  Administrators at an unnamed charter school called police around 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, after learning of the threats. A student told them about the comments and shared a video that showed the teen with a gun, Springfield police said.  Officers searched the teen's home but did not find the weapon. Soon after, police were alerted to another teen who attends a different school and is fri…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Hacked Victim With Axe During Central Mass Robbery: Police Man Hacked Victim With Axe During Central Mass Robbery: Police
Man Hacked Victim With Axe During Central Mass Robbery: Police Police in Worcester County said they have arrested a man after he slashed someone in the neck with an axe.  Jorge Torres-Maldonado, 36, of Worcester, is charged with armed robbery, armed assault to murder, aggravated assault and battery with serious bodily injury, according to Worcester police.  Police were called to Ward Street in Worcester just before midnight on Saturday, July 20, to find a victim suffering from a wound to his neck from an axe. Police gave medical aid until paramedics could rush him to an area hospital for treatment.  Investigators did not release any inf…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Fireball Traveling 34,000 MPH Over NYC Caused Loud Boom Heard Across Tristate: NASA Fireball Traveling 34,000 MPH Over NYC Caused Loud Boom Heard Across Tristate: NASA
Fireball Traveling 34,000 MPH Over NYC Caused Loud Boom Heard Across Tristate: NASA The mysterious boom heard and felt across the tristate area may have been caused by a meteor passing through the area, NASA says. Locals reported hearing thunder-like booms and rattling just after 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, July 16.  The USGS ruled out earthquakes, and residents across the tri-state reported witnessing fireballs to the American Meteor Society. After hours of anticipating, NASA confirmed a "daylight fireball" over New York City at 11:17 a.m. Reports filed on the American Meteor Society website permitted "a very crude determination of the trajectory of the meteor," …

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Man Killed In Western Mass Shooting ID'd As 38-Year-Old Man Killed In Western Mass Shooting ID'd As 38-Year-Old
Man Killed In Western Mass Shooting ID'd As 38-Year-Old Authorities have identified the 38-year-old man who was shot and killed on July 9 in Hampden County.  Dexter Ortiz, 38, of Holyoke, was gunned down just before 11:30 p.m. in the 50 block of West Street, the Hampden District Attorney said. Police responded to the area after receiving a ShotSpotter call. The shooting remains under investigation. Police have not named the shooter. 

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Autistic 4-Year-Old Central Mass Girl Drowns In Neighbor's Pool Autistic 4-Year-Old Central Mass Girl Drowns In Neighbor's Pool
Autistic 4-Year-Old Central Mass Girl Drowns In Neighbor's Pool A 4-year-old autistic girl named Eva was found unresponsive in her neighbor's pool in Worcester County on Thursday, July 11, after she went missing from her home. She was pronounced dead at an area hospital a short time later.  Police in Sutton received a 911 call around 3:50 p.m. that the girl had gone missing in the Peachtree Drive area, the Worcester County District Attorney said. Officers quickly began a search and found the girl in the pool. Responders rushed her to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where doctors pronounced her dead, authorities said.  Police did n…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Teen Shot, Killed In Springfield Over Holiday Weekend ID'd; 2 Men Also Injured Teen Shot, Killed In Springfield Over Holiday Weekend ID'd; 2 Men Also Injured
Teen Shot, Killed In Springfield Over Holiday Weekend ID'd; 2 Men Also Injured Police have identified the 18-year-old woman who was shot and killed late last week following July Fourth celebrations in Springfield, authorities said. Two others were injured in the attack.  Shainn Goodson, 18, of Springfield, was found shot around 12:30 a.m. on Friday, July 5, in the area of Oswego and Niagra Streets, Springfield police said. Police also found two men at the scene who suffered minor injuries. Paramedics rushed her to Baystate Medical Center, where she later died of her injuries.  Police responded to the area after receiving a Shotspotter alert.  In…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
3 Homemade Bombs Found In Worcester; Police Warn Of Unattended Items 3 Homemade Bombs Found In Worcester; Police Warn Of Unattended Items
3 Homemade Bombs Found In Worcester; Police Warn Of Unattended Items Worcester police say they have located three explosive devices throughout the city since they found the remnants of a small explosion last month.  Police learned of the explosion on Wednesday, June 19, at 185 Madison St. They found fireworks, a butane gas can, and projectile materials at the scene, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said.  Officers found two other unexploded devices left inside coolers last month.  Related: Police Detonate Bomb, 'Energetic Material' At Haverhill Home Police are investigating who built those bombs.  Authorities ask residen…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Central Mass Elderly Woman Nearly Loses More Than $20K In Scam; Police Issue Warning Central Mass Elderly Woman Nearly Loses More Than $20K In Scam; Police Issue Warning
Central Mass Elderly Woman Nearly Loses More Than $20K In Scam; Police Issue Warning An elderly woman in Worcester County was nearly out more than $20,000 after a scam artist tried to prey on her vulnerabilities.  The woman called Blackstone police on Friday, June 28, after she became suspicious that the man was trying to steal from her.  She told investigators that she received a message that she believed was from her bank that said her account was compromised. She called the number on the message, and the person who answered said she needed to remove as much money as possible to "reclaim" her account, Blackstone police said.  He told her to meet with a "sp…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
(NEW UPDATE) Police Explode Bomb In Haverhill, Scene Cleared; Man In Custody (NEW UPDATE) Police Explode Bomb In Haverhill, Scene Cleared; Man In Custody
(NEW Update) Police Explode Bomb In Haverhill, Scene Cleared; Man In Custody New Update: Residents near Rosebud Avenue are allowed to return to their homes after police said they destroyed a bomb at a house near there. Police had evacuated the area for hours as they searched for more explosives.  Original: A state police bomb squad destroyed an explosive device at a Haverhill home on Friday, June 28.  Police were called to 5 Rosebud Ave. around 8 a.m. to investigate reports that someone found an incendiary device. At 1 p.m., Haverhill police said they had destroyed the device in a controlled explosion.  Police originally reported they found two …

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by Josh Lanier
News
Mom Of 6-Year-Old Who Drowned In Mass. Lake Asks For Help: 'Incredibly Difficult' Mom Of 6-Year-Old Who Drowned In Mass. Lake Asks For Help: 'Incredibly Difficult'
Mom Of 6-Year-Old Who Drowned In Mass. Lake Asks For Help: 'Incredibly Difficult' Community support has poured in for the family of a 6-year-old non-verbal autistic boy who drowned over the weekend in a Westford Lake after the child's mother created a fundraising campaign.   The body of Zayan Mayanja was found in Nabnasset Lake on Sunday, June 23, after he snuck out of a window at his family's home on Chestnut Road.  Nazifah Namaganda, Zayan's mother, wrote that her son loved to read and cared about animals. She created a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of the boy's funeral, which was held on Wednesday, June 26.  It's with gr…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Police Asking For Tips After Man Shot In Central Mass Police Asking For Tips After Man Shot In Central Mass
Police Asking For Tips After Man Shot In Central Mass Police in Worcester say a 24-year-old man was shot during a meeting with his attacker on Thursday, June 13.  The shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. in the area of Vernon Street. Worcester police were called to the shooting site and provided first aid until paramedics arrived to take him to an area hospital.  Investigators do not believe the shooting was random, and there is no ongoing threat to the community.  Officers ask anyone with information about the violent attack to contact investigators at 508-799-8651.

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Animal Hoarding: 60 Boxer Dogs Seized From Mass Home Taxing Help Networks Animal Hoarding: 60 Boxer Dogs Seized From Mass Home Taxing Help Networks
Animal Hoarding: 60 Boxer Dogs Seized From Mass Home Taxing Help Networks The MSPCA is asking for help after the group took in 60 boxers from a home in Essex County earlier this week, making it one of the largest seizures in the group's history.  Police said officers removed the dogs from a home on Locust Grove Road in Merrimac on Tuesday, June 11, after receiving reports of animal hoarding and overcrowding. The owner voluntarily forfeited the dogs to authorities.  Police did not release the owner's name as no charges have been filed, but a multi-agency investigation involving Haverhill, Windham (New Hampshire), and Merrimac police is ongoing. …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Springfield Police Raising Funds For Officer Seriously Wounded In Shooting Springfield Police Raising Funds For Officer Seriously Wounded In Shooting
Springfield Police Raising Funds For Officer Seriously Wounded In Shooting Springfield police are asking the public to donate to help one of their own after he was shot in the head last week, which could leave him blind in one eye.  Officer Nestor Santos was seriously injured after he was attacked on Thursday, June 6, while sitting in his unmarked police car in the 600 block of State Street while on his way to work around 10:30 p.m., Springfield police authorities said.  His squad supervisor and another police officer rushed him to Baystate Medical Center, and he was later airlifted to a Boston hospital for emergency surgery. Police said a bullet st…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Springfield Officer Shot In Head May Lose Vision In 1 Eye: Police Springfield Officer Shot In Head May Lose Vision In 1 Eye: Police
Springfield Officer Shot In Head May Lose Vision In 1 Eye: Police An off-duty Springfield officer who was shot in the head and leg as he drove to work Wednesday night, June 6, may lose vision in an eye as a result of the attack.  Officer Nestor Santos was identified as the person who was seriously injured as he was attacked while sitting in his unmarked police car in the 600 block of State Street, Springfield police authorities said.  Related: 7 Arrested After Police Say They Fired At Officers, Sending 1 To ER His squad supervisor and another police officer rushed him to Baystate Medical Center, and he was later airlifted to a Boston hospital f…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Western Mass Officer Shot In Head, Other Detectives Shot At In Separate Incidents; 7 Arrested Western Mass Officer Shot In Head, Other Detectives Shot At In Separate Incidents; 7 Arrested
Western Mass Officer Shot In Head, Other Detectives Shot At In Separate Incidents; 7 Arrested A Springfield officer is recovering from a serious but not life-threatening wound he was shot in the temple while driving to work Wednesday night, June 5. Multiple other officers were also shot at in other incidents around the city.   Seven people were arrested Wednesday following the shootings after multiple officers reported being fired on just after 10:30 p.m.  Update: Police ID Officer Shot In Head; He May Lose Eyesight Someone in a Honda Civic took a shot at members of the Springfield firearms investigation unit on College Street. A short time later, a person in a …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Busted In Fatal Shooting In Springfield Man Busted In Fatal Shooting In Springfield
Man Busted In Fatal Shooting In Springfield A 62-year-old man has been charged with the fatal shooting over the weekend in Springfield, authorities said.  Juan Rivera, of Springfield, was charged with murder in the Saturday, June 1, slaying, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said.  Police were alerted to the fatal shooting just after 10:15 p.m. in the 400 block of Central Street after receiving a ShotSpotter alert. They arrived to find a man bleeding from a gunshot wound.  Paramedics rushed him to Baystate Medical Center, where he died of his injuries, the prosecutor said.   Authorities have not releas…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Stabbed On Worcester Sidewalk, Police Searching For Suspect Man Stabbed On Worcester Sidewalk, Police Searching For Suspect
Man Stabbed On Worcester Sidewalk, Police Searching For Suspect A man was hospitalized on Thursday, May 2, after being stabbed on a sidewalk in Worcester, police said.  A Worcester officer was flagged down just after 3:30 p.m. in the area of lower Chandler Street to a report of assault with a dangerous weapon. The victim was found sprawled out on the sidewalk and bleeding from his wound.  The officer provided medical aid until paramedics arrived and rushed the man to an area hospital. His condition was not released.  Investigators ask anyone with information on the attack to contact detectives at 508-799-8651.

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
3 Teens Shot, Wounded In Central Mass; Police Asking For Tips 3 Teens Shot, Wounded In Central Mass; Police Asking For Tips
3 Teens Shot, Wounded In Central Mass; Police Asking For Tips Three teenagers — two women and one boy — were shot over the weekend in Worcester, authorities said.  Police were called to the Clarkston Street area to reports of gunshots on Sunday night, April 7, but more emergency calls were placed soon after announcing that multiple people were hurt, Worcester police said.  Officers found two 18-year-old women and a 17-year-old boy suffering from gunshot wounds when they arrived just before 9:15 p.m. They provided first aid at the scene, and paramedics rushed them to an area hospital, police said.  Their names and conditions were not re…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Springfield Murder Suspect Caught In South Carolina Springfield Murder Suspect Caught In South Carolina
Springfield Murder Suspect Caught In South Carolina A 36-year-old Hampden County man wanted in connection with a Jan. 31 fatal shooting in Springfield has been arrested in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, authorities announced.  Jermaine Atkins, of Westfield, was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 29, on a fugitive from justice warrant after Springfield police tracked him to South Carolina and relayed the information to officers there, authorities said.  Atkins is accused of shooting Nicorie Adams, age 30, of Springfield, around 4:20 p.m. in the 0 to 100 block of Rochelle Street. Adams and an unnamed woman were in a car when they were bo…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Mass Officer Narrowly Avoids Falling Tree That Crushes His Cruiser Mass Officer Narrowly Avoids Falling Tree That Crushes His Cruiser
Mass Officer Narrowly Avoids Falling Tree That Crushes His Cruiser An officer on patrol Saturday, Sept. 16, in Norfolk County said he just barely escaped a large tree that fell and crushed his police cruiser, authorities said.  The officer was outside his patrol car responding to a call of low-hanging wires near the intersection of South Main Street and River Road in Cohasset when he heard a loud snap nearby and watched as a giant tree fell toward him.  The officer, who was not named, sprinted away from the tree's path and narrowly avoided being hit. The passenger side of his patrol cruiser was not as fortunate.  The tree crushed the cruise…

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by Josh Lanier