On Aug. 27 at approximately 10:50 p.m. Officer Arthur Petteruti responded to a residence on George Waterman Rd. for the report of a motor vehicle on someone’s lawn.
Upon arrival, he found the car stopped on the lawn with the driver, identified as Philip McGrath, 53, of 74 George Waterman Rd. Apt. #1FL in Johnston, in the driver’s seat.
The officer immediately detected a strong odor of alcohol on McGrath, and his eyes were bloodshot and speech blurred. McGrath told the officer that he had “only drank two beers” that night.
McGrath was evaluated by Johnston Rescue due to being in a motor vehicle accident but refused medical treatment. The officer then conducted a series of field sobriety tests on McGrath.
During the tests, McGrath kept interrupting the officer and failed to pass any of them, and at one point said to the officer: “why are you doing this to me, please just take me home…I only had a few beers.”
McGrath continued to be unbalanced and unsteady on his feet. He was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI and taken to police headquarters without incident.
While there, he refused to submit to a chemical breath test. He was criminally charged with DUI of Liquor and/or Drug – 1st Offense B.A.C. Unknown as well as Refusal to Submit to Chemical Breath Test. He was released with a court summons.
On Sept. 1 at approximately 1:22 p.m. multiple officers responded to the Market Place Deli on Atwood Ave. for the report of a disturbance that had occurred that morning.
Based on statements taken by the officers, they found that Michelle Pitocco, 49, of 278 Morgan Ave. Apt. #3 in Johnston, was an employee of the store that had recently stopped working there and wanted to pick up her last paycheck. One of the store’s employees told her she could pick it up when it was ready on Tuesday, Sept. 4, but Pitocco said she would not leave the store until she was given her money.
Pitocco said that she should get her cash tips that day. The store employee assured that she would get her money but not until Sept. 4. One of the officers told her that if she wished to pursue a civil case, she could follow up with a lawyer, but she had to leave the establishment at that time.
As Pitocco was walking out, after agreeing to come back on Sept. 4 to get her check, she began screaming at the store employee and cussing her out. She also pointed at the employee and told her “You wait, you expletive, I’m going to find out where you live! You just wait!”
The officer then told her she would be placed under arrest for disorderly conduct, to which she replied that she was not under arrest and swore at the officer.
While the officers tried to restrain her and place her into custody, she continued resisting and violently pulling away from them, until finally she loosened her arms after they told her they would have to take her to the ground. She did not sustain any injuries during the incident.
She was taken to police headquarters, where she was charged with Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Legal or Illegal Arrest, and was released with a court summons.
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