Three New Berkshire Assistant DAs Appointed

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless has announced the appointment of three new assistant district attorneys.
 
 Robert D. Sullivan Jr., 25, and Jeffrey P. Morgan, 28, joined the office in October; John P. Bosse, 29, started his duties this month. 
 
Capeless said all three are assigned to prosecute cases in the District Court and are filling vacancies created by the departure of three other assistant district attorneys over the past year.
 
Bosse is a graduate of Providence (R.I.) College and a 2006 graduate of the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover.  He grew up in Salem and now lives in Pittsfield.

 
Morgan graduated from Harvard College and is a 2007 graduate of the Northeastern School of Law in Boston. He grew up in Medford and now resides in Pittsfield.
 
Sullivan is a graduate of the University of Miami and is a 2008 graduate of the New England School of Law in Boston.  He grew up in Peabody and now lives in Pittsfield.  

"It was disappointing to lose three talented and hard-working prosecutors, but I am pleased that we have been able to fill their positions with three new, equally talented and, I am sure we will find out over the next few months, equally hard-working assistants," said Capeless.
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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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