Police required pepper spray and in one case, batons, to subdue and arrest the suspects.
03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen â A Northampton Police Department cruiser.NORTHAMPTON - Two police officers were injured early Saturday following a disturbance on Pleasant Street that led to the arrests of three people and the confiscation of loaded handgun.
As many as ten people may have been involved in the brawl which was initially reported shortly before 2 a.m. at Pleasant and Pearl streets, Capt. Scott A. Savino said.
Two state troopers and three police officers from Easthampton were summoned to help quell the disturbance, Savino said.
The injured officers, Kenneth Kirchner and Brian D’Amico, were treated at Cooley Dickinson Hospital and released, Savino said. The man allegedly carrying the handgun, Hebert Levy, 23, of 285 White St., Springfield, resisted arrest and police said they required pepper spray to subdue him.
A second suspect, Jose M. Rodriguez, of 47 Montague Road, Amherst, allegedly confronted police and required both pepper spray and batons to subdue him.
A third suspect, Caitlin Cassidy, 22, of 51 Hunter’s Hill Circle, Amherst, also received a blast of pepper spray when she allegedly refused to cooperate with police, Savino said.
When police initially responded to Pleasant and Pearl streets all was quiet, Savino said. A cab driver, however, pointed out a group heading south on Pleasant Street and the officers could see that several fights had broken out, he said.
“The officers arrived on scene and of course, everybody scattered,” Savino.
Police stopped two of the suspects near Roberto’s Restaurant and Sgt. Alan Borowski observed one of them who appeared to be nervous and kept his hands in his pockets.
Borowksi decided to pat-frisk the suspect, later identified as Levy, and could feel a handgun in his left front jacket pocket, Savino said.
As soon as Borowski felt the gun, Levy “literally ran out of his jacket, leaving the sergeant holding both the gun and the jacket. Police caught Levy after a short foot chase and required pepper spray and batons to subdue and arrest him, Savino said.
While dealing with Levy, Rodriguez approached police yelling incoherently, Savino said, adding that the suspect kicked three officers before they could subdue him.
Levy was charged with committing a firearms violation with a prior conviction, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, disturbing the peace while armed, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer and vandalizing property (one of the officers’ shirt and pants were damaged in the scuffle, possession of a firearm without an FID card and carrying a firearm without a license.
Rodriguez was charged with interfering with police, disorderly conduct and three counts of assault and battery on a police officer, Savino said.
Cassidy was charged with disorderly conduct.
The recovered handgun was a 9 mm semiautomatic. Police believe it’s a Smith & Wesson but don’t know for sure because it does not have any markings on it, Savino said.
Levy was held without bail over the weekend, Rodriguez was held in lieu of $10,000 cash bail and Cassidy was released on $1,000 cash bail.
The suspects are slated to be arraigned Monday in Northampton District Court.
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