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Williamstown Police Seeking Information on 'Constable'Staff reports
iBerkshires
10:49AM / Thursday, September 03, 2009
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williamstown Police are searching for a man who may have falsely presented himself as a law enforcement officer to a motorist on Wednesday.
A woman driving along Syndicate Road told police that she encountered a stopped pickup truck at the intersection of North Street and Syndicate about 8:25 on Wednesday morning. When she honked the horn for the truck to move, an older man got out of the pickup and flashed a badge that said "Constable."
The woman, who was not identified in the Police Department statement, said the man told her she was speeding and had to follow him back to the police station. She refused and drove around him.
He followed her north until encountering a police detail on Simonds Road, she said. The truck driver did a U-turn and headed south.
According to police, the woman did not stop at the detail but called the station later.
The man was described as being white and about 65 years old with a thin build, average height. His hair was gray and "scruffy" and he was wearing jeans. The truck was a light gray, full-size, late-model pickup. The registration is unknown.
Constables in Massachusetts do not possess police authority and may not conduct traffic stops or arrests, or detain people. Williamstown Police said all citizens are asked to obey the law but they should not be detained by any person who does not clearly identify himself or herself to be a police officer.
Anyone in doubt of should call the Police Department directly to verify the authenticity of an officer.
Anyone who has information on the person claiming to be a constable is strongly encouraged to contact the Williamstown Police at 413-458-5733. |
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary. Comments are closed for this article. If you would like to contribute information on this article, e-mail us at info@iBerkshires.com |
Last I checked constables do have powers of arrest.
Editor: Some have limited arrest powers conveyed by their municipality, but not for traffic stops. They're mostly process servers and only two are listed in the county. | | from: JD | on: 09-07-2009 12:00AM
I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0) |
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