Police and Fire News

Pilot makes emergency landing on Lover's Lake in Chatham Saturday

Engine quits, pilot lands on Lover's Lake near Chatham airport

  In the photo above the tail of the plane can be seen above water 20 feet from the backyard of a private home in Chatham. Rescuers surrounded the plane with Hazmat mitigation floats to contain any fuel and oil spill until plans can be made to remove the plane.

A Chatham lake may be misnamed for those two fly-boys

CHATHAM - Two men escaped from a small plane after encountering engine trouble and crashing into the water on Lover's Lake off Lakeshore Drive in Chatham around 2:40 p.m. Saturday, according to Chatham police.

Police said the two people on board the single-engine Cessna 182, a 25-year-old pilot and a 57-year-old passenger, were uninjured and swam to the shore of a private home on Lake Shore Drive.

The plane had taken off from Chatham Municipal Airport and was on its way back when the emergency landing occurred, police said.

The private plane landed right-side up in Lover's Lake just north of the landing strip.  Witnesses reported hearing the aircraft's engine sputtering, then seeing the pilot make a controlled landing on the lake, according to police.

Chatham Fire & Rescue deployed Hazmat mitigation floats to contain fuel from the plane.

FAA investigators were expected to arrive last evening to assist Chatham police with an investigation.

Video below and photo above by David Curran.

Cape's K9s put on an impressive show Saturday

Handlers show an enthusiastic crowd in Yarmouth Port what K9 dogs can do

Story, all photos by Maggie Kulbokas

YARMOUTH PORT - Saturday afternoon, Taylor-Bray Farm in Yarmouth Port was the setting for a  fun and interactive K9 demonstration presented by the Cape's police K9 handlers and their dogs. 

Barnstable K9 Officer Troy Perry and his dog Izzo.The officers represented the Dennis, Yarmouth, Barnstable and Mashpee Police Departments as well as the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office. The crowd of over a hundred, including several enthusiastic youngsters, got a crash course in K9 police work.  Dogs of several different breeds are trained as drug detection dogs or patrol dogs and some are even cross-trained.

Drug dogs are trained to sniff out narcotics in cars and buildings and on people. Patrol dogs are trained for a variety of jobs including tracking missing children or adults, finding criminals, crowd control and criminal apprehension.

K9 training has evolved through the years. Dogs were once trained with play rewards, but are now trained with food rewards--an excellent incentive for a job well done.  The officers told the crowd that the dogs are constantly trained by their handlers. Even at regular meal times, the dogs are being trained and hand fed.

During the presentations, handlers showed the crowd how dogs can find narcotics on a car and on a person in a lineup. Then the dogs were used to apprehend criminals, first with a muzzle on, used to detain and corral the bad guy. Then without a muzzle and a protective "bite suit" for the pretend bad guy--a job the dog can really sink its teeth into.

For more information about your town's K9 program, contact your police department. To learn more about K9 dogs and specifically retired K9 dogs, visit the Cape and Islands Police K9 Fund. The folks from the fund were at the demonstration today taking donations for this very worthy cause and handing out Junior K9 Officer badges to the kids.

See the original story about the show here.

Dennis police arrested Level 2 sex offender for failure to register

Police take George Jones into custody Friday

NORTH DENNIS - Around 8:30 a.m. Friday morning, Dennis police  arrested 37-year-old George Jones for failing to register as a sex offender. According to Sgt. Cleve Daniels, Jones is a Level 2 sex offender who was found to be residing at 86 South Yarmouth Road in North Dennis.

Following an investigation conducted by Det. Sgt. Mark Conant, an arrest warrant was issued for Jones. 

Officers found Jones hiding in the South Yarmouth Road home Friday morning, according to a Dennis police release.

George Jones was transported to the Dennis Police Station where he was processed then taken to Orleans District Court for arraignment Friday.

According to the state's Registered Sex Offender Board (SORB), there are currently 29 registered Level 2 sex offenders and four Level 3 sex offenders registered in Dennis. Level 3 sex offenders are designated as those most likely to re-offend.

1 dead, 3 hurt, in early morning New Bedford fire

Early morning fire requires MedFlight for 8-year-old, 6-year-old also injured

Fire apparatus filled Russell Street this morning.NEW BEDFORD -A man was killed and two young children and another man were injured in an early morning fire on Saturday.

The flames broke out around 4:00 a.m. in a multi-unit apartment buildin on Russell Street. Fire officials say one man was killed, and an 8-year old and another man were flown to an area hospital by helicopter. A six-year old was also transported to New Bedford's St. Luke's Hospital.

The conditions of each of three injured victims is unknown at this time, and there's no word on what started that fire.

Video, photo and report by David Curran.

Meet the Cape's K9s Saturday

K9 demonstration Saturday, May 12 at Taylor-Bray Farm

YARMOUTH PORT - Highly-trained K-9 handlers and their dogs are a vital part of police work.  The dogs are capable of finding missing persons, drugs and apprehending bad guys. Several Cape Cod police departments and the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office have K9 Units that are called out frequently on a variety of cases.

See a story and slideshow about the demonstration here.

On Saturday, May 12, meet the handlers and the Cape's Police K9 dogs at 12:30 p.m. at Taylor-Bray Farm in Yarmouth Port. K-9 Units from Yarmouth, Dennis, Barnstable, Mashpee and the Barnstable County Sheriff's Department will take part in an exciting and informative demonstration you won't want to me. See what these dogs are able to do!

The historic working Taylor-Bray Farm is at 108 Bray Farm Road North in Yarmouth Port, just off Route 6 at Oliver's Restaurant.

6-year-old girl brings air-soft gun to school in Falmouth Wednesday

Replica gun discovered by another student on the bus

A 6-year-old girl brought this air-soft pistol gun to class. FPD evidence photo.FALMOUTH - Wednesday afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., the Falmouth Superintendent of Schools Office notified Falmouth police that a kindergarten student had brought an air-soft pistol to school. According to a Falmouth police release, the 6-year-old girl carried the replica pellet pistol to East Falmouth Elementary School in her backpack. 

The pistol was never displayed at the school, according to Lt. Brian Reid. While on the bus home, another student found the gun in the girl's bag and alerted the bus driver. The bus driver returned to the school and notified school officials.

Air-pistols are replica guns that shoot non-lethal pellets. The pistols are spring-loaded and some require either gas or batteries to fire.

Falmouth police are conducting an investigation into the matter with the assistance of school officials and the state Department of Children and Families. There were no reported injuries.

Rutland man arrested after pistol-whipping another man in Orleans Wednesday

Altercation leads to assault just before midnight

The Sig Sauer was loaded when confiscated. OPD evidence photo.

ORLEANS - Wednesday night, just before midnight, Orleans officers responded to an assault and battery call at an apartment on Oak Ridge Road.  There, the officers met with the male victim who was bleeding profusely from heads wounds, according to an Orleans police release.

The man told officers that he and a second man, Benjamin Bradford, 36, of Rutland, MA, had an altercation on a second floor deck.  Bradford allegedly pulled out a hand gun and pistol-whipped the victim, according to police.

Officers talked Bradford out of the apartment and took him into custody without incident. After his arrest, police confiscated a loaded .40 caliber Sig Sauer from the apartment.

Bradford was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.  He was held on $5,000 cash bail and arraigned in Orleans District Court Thursday morning.

Eastham and Brewster police and the Massachusetts State Police assisted with the call, according to Detective Sergeant Kevin Higgins.

$2.3 million dollar waterfront home destroyed in Bourne blaze

Midnight fire engulfs Bourne waterfront home

BOURNE - Firefighters battled a blaze at a multi-million dollar waterfront home on Wings Neck in the village of Pocasset late Wednesday night. The home was already completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

The fire broke out shortly before midnight, heavily damaging the home. There is no word yet as to the cause of the blaze or dollar value on the damage.

According to town assessor's records, the home is valued at $2.3 million dollars. 

The state Fire Marshal's Office was requested to the scene.  The Red Cross also responded.  

All of the occupants of the home escaped without injury.

Video, photo and report by David G. Curran.

Registered level 3 sex offender charged with kidnapping and attempted rape in Wareham

Faces attempted murder charges and a dangerousness hearing

WAREHAM - A 22-year-old Wareham man is being held at the Plymouth House of Correction pending a dangerousness hearing.  According to Lt. Kevin Walsh, Joseph Gomes of 5 Apple Street in Wareham, is accused of holding a 25-year-old woman against her will, physically assaulting her and attempting to rape her over the course of Sunday night.

Joseph Gomes. WPD booking photo.At 2 p.m. on Monday, the unidentified victim told Wareham police that she had been held against her will and repeatedly assaulted by Gomes at his Wareham home. Gomes is a registered level 3 sex offender, according to police.

The woman told police she was an acquaintance of Gomes' and was held at his home after arriving there Sunday evening.  She told police Gomes repeatedly attempted to rape her, assaulted her with a cell phone and committed indecent assault and battery.   According to the woman, Gomes grabbed her by the throat and threatened her each time she attempted to leave the home.  He also allegedly threatened her with a machete.

At 6:30 a.m. Monday morning, a neighbor of Gomes' took the woman, accompanied by Gomes to a medical appointment. At the appointment, she was able to escape and eventually report the incident to police.

Wareham police took Gomes into custody at his home without incident.  He was held overnight at the Wareham Police Department without bail and was arraigned in Wareham Fourth District Court on Tuesday.  Gomes is being held at Plymouth House of Correction until his 58A dangerousness hearing on Friday.

After obtaining a search warrant, police searched Gomes' Apple Street home for evidence. There, they confiscated the machete allegedly used during the kidnapping.

Gomes has been charged with kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (cell phone), attempted murder, assault to rape, two counts indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (machete).

According to the state's Sex Offender Registry Board, Gomes was convicted of assault and battery on a person 14 or older in October of 2010.

Immigration takes custody of Dennis driver charged with motor vehicle homicide

Alves overstayed visa, not a legal citizen at time of fatal accident

DENNIS - A 58-year-old Dennis woman who was charged with motor vehicle homicide after hitting a 76-year-old man on Route 6A April 28 is now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to ICE spokesman Ross Feinstein.

Initially, Maria Veras-Alves  (Mariaamelia Alves) was charged with unlicensed operation of a vehicle and arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant at the scene.  When the victim, Symen Kooy of Dennis succumbed to his injuries last week, the charges against Alves were upgraded to motor vehicle homicide.

Once released from the custody of the state, Alves was taken into custody by ICE on administrative immigration violations, according to Feinstein. Alves overstayed her visa and have been in the United States illegally since March 2003.

"The Commonwealth of Massachusetts can take her back at any time if they file the appropriate paperwork and intend to keep her in custody. A writ of a state or local judge will be required for her to be remanded back into their custody to face criminal charges," said Feinstein.

ICE, according to Feinstein, is in contact with the Cape & Islands District Attorney's Office and will see that Alves faces criminal charges before deportation.

Mr. Kooy was the owner of Blossoms Florist on Route 6A in Dennis.