Johnston Police Log

The Police Log is a digest of reports provided by the Johnston Police, Rhode Island State Police and other departments.

WEAPONS

Patrolman Thomas Santurri was dispatched to a report of a disturbance the evening of Oct. 12.

While en route, Santurri said communications personnel advised that one of the involved parties was in possession of a taser. Upon arrival, Santurri said he observed about six people engaged in a heated argument in the street. He wrote that he saw a man – later identified as Isaac Vazquez, 18, 28 Angell St., Johnston – standing with his left hand in his pocket.

Santurri said that, due to the unknown location of the taser and Vazquez being the only person with a hand in his pocket, he asked Vazquez to remove his hand from the pocket. He did not comply, so Santurri approached and asked him to place his hands behind his back, to which he agreed. The officer conducted a pat-down and located a hard, square object in Vazquez’s left pocket, which is consistent with the shape of a handheld stun gun. Santurri removed the taser from Vazquez’s pocket. Vazquez was arrested and charged on misdemeanor counts of weapons other than firearms prohibited and disorderly conduct.

Santurri spoke with a witness, who said Vazquez and his friends showed up looking to fight them. In a heavily redacted portion of the report, the witness said he was in a relationship with someone, but had recently broken it off with her. The officer said a series of text messages ended with Vazquez and his friends showing up to confront the man.

The witness said that Vazquez knocked on the front door looking for someone, saying he appeared to be holding a stun gun in his hand. The person said Vazquez knocked on the door in an aggressive manner and began yelling at one man. They corroborated he was holding a stun gun as well.

Vazquez was arraigned and released on $1,000 personal recognizance with a court date to appear on Nov. 16. DUTY TO STOP

Patrolman Charles Psilopoulos detained a suspect’s vehicle in the parking lot of Gateway Health Care Inc., located at 1443 Hartford Ave., the afternoon of Oct. 14.

Psilopoulos wrote that procedural checks showed the vehicle belonging to Anthony Marinaro, 51, 335 Simmonsville Ave., Johnston. It should be noted, Psilopoulos wrote, that the vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run collision resulting in property damage. He said further investigation showed the suspect vehicle also struck another car. Psilopoulos told Marinaro the circumstances, and he said he was operating the vehicle and recalled striking the other car. He had fled the scene and continued north on Atwood Avenue to Hartford Avenue, entering the parking lot of Gateway, where he had a doctor’s appointment.

Marinaro was charged with duty to stop in accident resulting damage to an attended vehicle. He was released from the scene with a Third Division District Court summons to appear on Nov. 16. MULTIPLE CHARGES

Patrolmen Michael Schiappa and Richard Varan responded to Pick N’ Pull at 30 Green Earth Ave. the evening of Oct. 7 for a report of a man tampering with motor vehicles inside the 10-foot fence which encloses the junkyard.

Upon arrival, Schiappa said he saw a man – later identified as Tracy Neves, 48, 545 Lavender Lane, Virginia Beach, Virginia – standing next to a car in the front parking lot. Next to Neves on the ground, Schiappa said, was a sawzall, blue glove and flashlight. As he arrived on scene, Schiappa saw the man notice his arrival and twice try to scale the fence to enter the junkyard. Neves was unsuccessful in scaling the fence, at which time he began to run south across the parking lot away from the officers. At this time, Schiappa said he and Varan exited their marked police vehicles and shouted, “Police! Stop!” and began to pursue Neves on foot.

Schiappa pursued Neves about 100 yards while continuously shouting, “Police, stop running, you are under arrest!” Neves disregarded all verbal commands by police, at which time he approached a small hole in the fence at the southeast corner of the parking lot. As he approached the whole in the fence, he saw Neves reach into his right jacket pocket. Schiappa again told Neves loudly and clearly that he was under arrest and ordered him to show him his hands.

He refused to comply with verbal commands again, and in fear that Neves was reaching for a weapon, Schiappa unholstered his taser and clearly shouted, “Taser! Taser! Taser!” He deployed one five-second taser shot into the back of Neves’ torso as he climbed through the hole in the fence, which partially immobilized him. He deployed a second five-second cycle that immobilized him again, allowing Schiappa and Varan to secure him in handcuffs.

During the second five-second taser cycle, Schiappa noticed a silver, fixed-blade knife and black sheath fall out of Neves’ right jacket pocket on to the ground. Johnston Fire Department assistance and a supervisor were subsequently called to the scene.

Neves was charged with misdemeanor counts of injuring or tampering with vehicles, attempted larceny under $1,500, resisting legal or illegal arrest and willful trespass. DUI

Patrolwoman Kayleigh Cooper and patrolman Andrew Broccoli responded to 1465 Plainfield St. for a report of a motor vehicle accident with no injuries on the morning of Oct. 12.

While speaking to the operator the first vehicle – Alessio Iannelli, 58, 1931 Plainfield St., Johnston – Cooper said he was slurring his speech and had bloodshot eyes. She said she could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating off his breath. She said the airbags had been delayed so she contacted Johnston Fire officials to respond to the scene to evaluate Iannelli prior to standard field sobriety tests, or SFSTs.

Cooper first administered the horizontal gaze test, and Iannelli said he understood the instructions and did not have any physical impairments that would prevent him from taking the test, or any others. Cooper said she observed all six clues at the completion of the test, including lack of smooth pursuit.

Cooper then conducted the walk-and-turn test with Iannelli, during which he lost balance and missed touching his heel to toe in each of his first several steps. The one-leg test also saw Iannelli sway from side to side, putting his foot down every four seconds.

Iannelli was charged with driving under the influence, and Cooper took him to the Johnston Police headquarters. Cooper said Iannelli refused to take a chemical test, and he stated during processing that he had a few beers at the Knightsville Pub in Cranston.

Iannelli was issued a Third Division District Court summons to appear Oct. 22 on a charge of DUI. He was released from custody, as all other procedural checks yielded negative results.