Former Police Officer Guilty on Child Porn Charges

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former Adams police sergeant pleaded guilty Friday morning in Berkshire Superior Court to 10 counts of child pornography.

Alan C. Vigiard, 46, appeared before Judge Daniel Ford and pleaded guilty to 10 counts of knowlingly possessing visual material of a child depicted in sexual conduct. A single count of lasciviously posing a child in a state of nudity was dismissed at the request of the commonwealth.

Vigiard was released on personal recognizance pending sentencing, which will take place on June 22 at 3 p.m.

The veteran officer was being investigated after a folder with pornographic images was found on a CD sent to the district attorneys. Vigiard was caught viewing pornography on a police computer at the station on Oct. 29, 2009.

He was placed on administrative leave and then resigned. As of last year, he was receiving retirement benefits accrued during his service but will lose those if the retirement board determines his crimes were linked to his employment.

The investigation was conducted by state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office and members of the Adams Police Department. 

Man Threatens To Bomb Pharmacy For Drugs

ADAMS, Mass. — An local man threatened to blow up Rite Aide Pharmacy on Saturday if technicians refused to give him narcotics, said police.

Thomas Lee Deherrera, 23, of East Street was arrested and charged with stealing the prescription drugs oxycodone and fentanyl from the Columbia Street pharmacy.

Deherrera allegedly threatened store employees at about 3 p.m. on Saturday; he reportedly had a towel over his face and was wearing blue gloves. He handed pharmacy technicians a note saying he would blow up the pharmacy if he was not given the drugs, police said Monday.

Police called in a search dog from Williamstown but found no explosives. Deherrera was found and arrested while walking along the Hoosic River about a quarter of a mile away.

Deherrera was being held on $25,000 cash bail and was charged with unarmed robbery, larceny from a building, four counts of possession of oxycodone, a Class B substance, and three counts of possession of fentanyl, a Class A substance.

Adams Crash Injures Two

Updated 9:08 a.m. A Lifeflight helicopter turned back after hitting poor conditions over the mountains. The patient was taken to North Adams Regional Hospital and a few hours later taken to  Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center by ambulance.

The crash reportedly occurred when the vehicle went over an embankment at the dead end of Highland Avenue. That information has not been confirmed by police.

ADAMS, Mass. — A single-vehicle accident early Saturday morning left two young people seriously injured, according to scanner reports.

A Lifeflight helicopter that was to land in the Adams Internists parking lot turned back after hitting poor conditions over the mountains. It was supposed to take one of the vehicle's occupants to Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center, reportedly with a head injury. A second individual was taken by ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center.

The crash occurred around 1 a.m. on Glendale Drive, a dense residential area off West Road. Police were looking for a third occupant who was believed to have left the scene.

Adams and North Adams ambulance services responded to the scene along with police and firefighters.

Adams Crash Sends One to Hospital

ADAMS, Mass. — A two-vehicle accident on Columbia Street stalled traffic and caused minor injuries Wednesday afternoon. 

Bill Spinney of Berkshire County Stoves said the crash "sounded like it was in my parking lot." The crash occurred just south of his store in front of Chick's Lunch and Gem Electric. He called 911 and, after noting the passengers and drivers had all exited the vehicles on their own, snapped a picture that showed one of the sport-utility vehicles flipped on its roof.

Police, fire and ambulance responded to the scene and police report one person, who had been in the flipped vehicle, was transported to the hospital.

Update: The flipped vehicle was being driven by Evan Sadlowski, 25, of East Road. He was cityed for speeding, driving to endanger and a seat-belt violation.

Police say Sadlowski was speeding southbound on Columbia Street when he lost control, struck the parked sport utility vehicle, flipped and slid into the parked red pickup truck. His 2005 Subaru was totaled and the SUV received heavy damage to its driver's side. The truck had $1,000 in damages. Sadlowski was the only injured and he was taken to Berkshire Medical Center with minor injuries.

Adams Appoints Reserve Officer

Officer Curtis Crane

ADAMS, Mass. — The town of Adams added another reserve officer to the police force last week with the appointment of Curtis Crane.

"Curtis Crane has been employed with force the last two years as a dispatcher and special police officer," said Police Chief Donald Poirot at the Selectmen's meeting on April 21. "He just passed the Civil Service exam with flying colors."

Crane replaces Officer Matthew C. Wright, who was hired as a full-time officer in March.

"That will bring us up to two reserve officers. With vacations coming and Park Street events, we need these kind of officers," said Poirot.