Home About Archives RSS Feed

Video Leads to Animal Cruelty Charge For Pittsfield Woman

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police are charging a city woman with animal cruelty after a video of her carrying her small dog by the collar went viral locally.
 
Police say on Sunday at about 9:30 a.m. they responded to a report of cruelty at the First Street Common earlier in the day. Police reviewed video evidence and witness accounts and determined to summons Melinda Alston, 44, to answer for a single count of cruelty to animals.
 
Police said the dog in question was observed and is in good health.
 
A video of the incident had been posted to Facebook showing the woman, police believe was Alston, yelling at the small dog before picking up into the air by the collar. The woman was confrontational with the witness recording the video. The video received numerous comments, shares, and views — and many comments had tagged the Pittsfield Police Department or called to report the incident.
 
Police Chief Michael Wynn on Wednesday afternoon released the statement regarding the charge.
     

Two Juveniles Arrested For Breaking and Entering In Pittsfield

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police arrested two juveniles for breaking and entering Tuesday.
 
Police said the department received a call for a breaking and entering in progress on Linn Street. Witnesses said two suspects had fled the scene prior to officer's arrival. They were described as two black men, wearing hooded sweatshirts, jeans and carrying backpacks.
 
Shortly after officers located them in the area of Saint Joseph Cemetery on Peck's Road. The two matched the physical and clothing descriptions reported by witnesses.
 
Police said a K9 unit was able to locate several pieces of evidence. This incident is currently under investigation by Officer Kipp Steinman of the Pittsfield Police Uniformed Patrol Division, the Pittsfield Police Detective Bureau and Crime Scene Services. 
 
Anyone who has any information regarding this incident is requested to contact Officer Kipp Steinman of the Pittsfield Police Department at 413-448-9700 extension 601. Information can also be provided anonymously via the Detective Bureau, the Drug Tips hotline at 413-448-9708, or by texting "PITTIP" plus your message to TIP411 (847411).
     

Deer Relocated After Getting Stuck in Pittsfield's Downtown

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff

MassWildlife was successful in tranquilizing the deer.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Authorities relocated a deer that was trapped downtown.
 
Police received a call of a deer trapped in fencing at First and Fenn Street. The deer then fled to the Brien Center near First and Third Street, where it tucked itself in an alcove behind an air conditioning unit.
 
"We received a call for a deer stuck in fenced-in areas in the downtown. Patrol officers did their best to free it from those fenced in areas but given the congestion and the urban downtown environment, the deer has no way to get back," Police Capt. Matthew Kirchner said.
 
MassWildlife tranquilized the deer and the Massachusetts Environmental Police transported it out of the city's downtown core. The deer is expected to survive.
 
"We were able to safely and humanely dart the animal and relocate it back to the wild safely," Kirchner said. "They'll spend time with her, monitor her, until she is on her own."
 
The deer wouldn't have been much of a concern in other areas of the city but because of the heavily congested location officers had public safety concerns. 
 
"It is a public safety hazard. If it runs out to the street there are car accidents with people trying to avoid it," Kirchner said.
 
MassWildlife rallied the resources needed, including the tranquilizer and nets to keep it from running away after being darted, the Police Department had patrol officers pick up bags of ice to keep the deer cool while being transported. By the time the deer had gotten to that particular location, it had received some minor scrapes and bleeding but Kirchner said there weren't any significant injuries.
 
"We rely heavily on our partners with MassWildlife and Environmental Police and our animal control officers because they are the experts in this field. We lean on them in the direction and best resources available," Kirchner said.
 
A deer rescue from downtown is fairly unique -- and generates plenty of calls to dispatch -- but wildlife rescues are fairly common. More frequently bears find their way into residential areas but the process is the same for deer.
 
"They'll happen periodically throughout the year," Kirchner said.
     

Mass MoCA Director Facing Charges in Fatal Crash

Staff Reports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The director of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is being charged in the fatal accident last year that killed an Adams man. 
 
According to reports in The Berkshire Eagle on Thursday, Joseph Thompson is scheduled to be arraigned on June 19 on a charge of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation in Northern Berkshire District Court. 
 
A 2001 Harley-Davidson motorcycle driven by Steven Fortier, 49, of Adams collided with Thompson's 2015 Audi on Church Street near the intersection with Ashland. Fortier was heading south and Thompson north the evening of July 20, 2018. 
 
A show-cause hearing was held on May 9. Police Chief Jason Wood told The Eagle that the department had waited on the state police reconstruction report before determining whether to move forward with charges. 
 
Thompson's attorney, Timothy Shugrue, says his client is not guilty of the misdemeanor, noting to The Eagle that it had been confirmed by police that Thompson had not had alcohol or was in use of his phone. 
 
"I'm very confident that he's innocent and I'm very confident it's going to be found that way," he told The Eagle.
 
Fortier had been at the Mohawk Tavern the night of the accident and his condition, according to witnesses, along with several unrelated incidents regarding overserving, led to the bar's hours being reduced for several months last fall.  
     
Page 2 of 2 1  2  

Support Local News

We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives.

How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week.

News Headlines
North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration
Clarksburg Sees Race for Select Board Seat
Crosby/Conte Statement of Interest Gets OK From Council
WCMA: 'Cracking the Code on Numerology'
BCC Wins Grant for New Automatic External Defibrillator
Clark Art Screens 'Adaptation'
Drury High School to Host End-of-Year Showcase
Clarksburg Gets 3 Years of Free Cash Certified
Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests
MCLA Men's Lacrosse Falls in League Opener

Police Logs

Pittsfield Police

North Adams

Crimewatch Links

North Adams CrimeWatch

Stamford/Clarksburg CrimeWatch

Pittsfield CrimeWatch

Emergency: 911
Adams 413-743-1212
Clarksburg 413-663-7795
Cheshire 413-743-1501
Dalton 413-684-0300
Great Barrington 413-528-0306
Lanesborough 413-443-4107
Lee 413-243-2100
Lenox 413-637-2346
North Adams 413-664-4944
Pittsfield 413-448-9700
Richmond 413-698-3315
Stockbridge 413-298-4179
Williamstown 413-458-5733
West Stockbridge 413-232-7938
State Police  
Cheshire Barracks
413-743-
4700
Lee Barracks 413-243-0600
Shaftsbury, Vt., Barracks 802-442-3263

 



Categories:
Adams (92)
Alford (0)
Becket (8)
Cheshire (23)
Clarksburg (41)
Dalton (6)
Egremont (2)
Florida (9)
Great Barrington (34)
Hancock (5)
Hinsdale (5)
Lanesborough (30)
Lee (14)
Lenox (11)
Monterey (0)
Mount Washington (1)
New Ashford (4)
New Marlborough (2)
North Adams (248)
Otis (2)
Peru (3)
Pittsfield (318)
Pownal (16)
Readsboro (17)
Richmond (10)
Sandisfield (5)
Savoy (6)
Sheffield (5)
Stamford (31)
State (1)
Stockbridge (6)
Tyringham (1)
Washington (1)
West Stockbridge (1)
Williamstown (79)
Windsor (3)
Archives:
Tags:
Fatal Burglary Fire Motor Vehicle Accident Vehicle Heroin Robbery Search Accident Missing Persons Veremko Drugs Armed Robbery Assault Hit & Run Injuries Homicide Buglaries Stabbing Crime Watch Pedestrians Assaults Motorcycles Fraud Break-ins Larceny Structure Fire Drug Charges Murder Rape Mvi Police Investigation Motor Vehicle Shooting Search & Rescue
Popular Entries:
Superior Court Briefs: March 14 - March 16
Fatal Accident Closes Route 8 in Adams
Superior Court Briefs: May 2 - May 6
Woman Pleads Guilty in Sandisfield Fatal Crash
Superior Court Briefs: March 28 - March 31
Pittsfield Woman Pleads Guilty in Husband's Slaying
Superior Court Briefs: May 18 - 19
Superior Court Briefs: March 8 - March 11
Superior Court Briefs: March 23 - March 24
New Ashford Crash Turns Fatal for Williamstown Man
Recent Entries:
State Police Bust $3M Illegal Pot Growing Operation in Savoy
First-Responders Searching for Lost Hiker on Mount Greylock
Pittsfield Driver Injured in Elm Street Accident
North Adams Police Investigate Possible Shooting Incident
Williamstown Police Looking into Cemetery Vandalism
Florida Woman Dies in Motorcycle Accident
Pittsfield Fire Responds to Kitchen Blaze
Juvenile Arrested in North Adams Shooting
North Adams Police Seeking Information on Shooting Incident
Pittsfield Police Seek Information on Sunday Night Shootings