Brien Center Receives Funding for Drunk Driving Victims

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The Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance recently awarded funding to the Brien Center in Pittsfield to increase services available to victims of drunk driving crashes in Berkshire County.

Each year, MOVA awards funding to agencies that provide free services such as counselling, crisis intervention, case management and advocacy to victims, witnesses and families impacted by OUI incidents. The funding comes from the Drunk Driving Trust Fund (DDTF) which collects fines imposed by the courts on offenders convicted of operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“The Brien Center has a long history of working closely with the District Attorney’s office, providing services to victims and their families in Berkshire County,” said M. Christine Macbeth, chief executive officer of the Brien Center. “District Attorney David Capeless has indicated how significant and debilitating the impact of these OUI crimes are on the people involved, their families and the community. Starting in 2015, the Brien Center will have the resources to dispatch trained DDTF staff to respond to requests from the District Attorney’s office to meet victims in the aftermath of an OUI crash, explain resources and to schedule services. The range of services will include free individual and group therapy as well as clinical case management.”

“Crashes caused by impaired drivers leave devastating physical and emotional effects on victims and their families”, said Liam Lowney, MOVA’s Executive Director. “While awareness and prevention campaigns are more commonplace during the holiday season, survivors of these senseless acts require specialized services to assist in their recovery every day. We are thrilled to fund the Brien Center’s work to help those impacted by these traumatic events.”

The Brien Center DDTF program will operate out of their three outpatient clinics in Pittsfield, North Adams and Great Barrington. To learn more about or to access services, call 413-449-0412 or visit www.briencenter.org.


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Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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