BLOCKED DRIVEWAY

Officer Matthew Ricci was contacted by the resident at 162 Magnolia St. at approximately 12:06 p.m. on March 29 regarding a pickup truck blocking her driveway. Upon arrival, Ricci said he observed the pickup blocking the woman’s driveway, making it impossible for her to get out. The woman told Ricci she believed the truck belonged to the residents of 158 Magnolia St. Ricci said he spoke with a juvenile female at that residence, who told him the owner of the truck was not home at the time and no one else was around to move it. After contacting his sergeant regarding the circumstances, Ricci said permission was granted to have the truck towed. Before it was towed from the scene, Ricci said a parking violation was placed underneath the driver’s side windshield wiper for parking to obstruct a driveway, which carries a $30 fine.

NO SEATBELT

Officer Christine Bolduc was on a “Click It or Ticket” detail on Budlong Road in the area of Blaine Street at approximately 12:29 p.m. on March 29 when she observed a pickup truck traveling northbound on Budlong Road, and that the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Bolduc said she pulled behind the vehicle and activated her lights and siren, initiating a motor vehicle stop on Budlong Road at the intersection with East View Road. Bolduc said when she made contact with the driver, he was now wearing his seatbelt. After getting the driver’s information and running checks on him and the vehicle, Bolduc learned the vehicle registration was suspended for failure to obtain a certificate of inspection. She also discovered the driver had a suspended license and an active bench warrant out of Sixth District Court for failure to appear. Bolduc said the truck was towed from the scene, and Orlando Difruscio III, 28, of 44 E. Barrows St. in Cumberland, was taken into custody and transported to police headquarters, where he was fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a cell to await arraignment. Difruscio was charged with driving on a suspended license and issued a summons for Third District Court. He was also issued summonses for being an operator not wearing a seatbelt and operating a motor vehicle while registration is suspended.

SUSPENDED LICENSE

While conducting a “Click It or Ticket” detail at approximately 2:49 p.m. on March 29, Officer Mallory Reis was stopped facing south at 195 Budlong Road when she observed the operator of a vehicle heading north on Budlong not wearing a seatbelt. Reis said she turned around and activated her overhead lights to initiate a car stop after the car turned left onto Urquhart St. After speaking with the driver, Reis said she ran a check on the man’s license and it came back as suspended. She said when she ran the vehicle’s registration, it came back as not active as of 2010, and when she ran the VIN, it came back as no active registration as of January 2014. Bolduc said Paul Strumar, 49, of 56 Reed St. in Warwick, was issued a District Court Release to Appear and summonses for no seatbelt for operator, no active registration and no insurance. His vehicle was towed from the scene.

DISORDERLY

Officer Matthew Davis said he observed an incident at the Mardi Gras nightclub while on a security detail there at approximately 12:45 a.m. on March 30. While walking back into the club after escorting a patron out the exit, Davis said he observed the bartender jump over the bar to get between two patrons getting ready to fight. Davis said one of the patrons then squared off with the bartender as if he wanted to fight him. Davis said he grabbed the man by his shoulder and told him to knock it off. The man reportedly shrugged off Davis’ hand and brought his right arm back holding a beer bottle as a weapon, saying, “I’ll take you on cop; I’m not afraid of you.” Davis said he immediately grabbed the man’s neck and gave several verbal commands to drop the glass beer bottle, but the man refused to listen. Davis said the man had a hold of his bulletproof vest while he continued to give verbal commands to drop the bottle and hit the man’s arm to dislodge it, and after several attempts the bottle fell out of the man’s hand. Davis said as he was struggling with the man, who was still holding onto him, he tripped over a step leading to the outside patio, fell backwards through the door and landed on the patio with Davis on top of him. As the men continued to struggle, Davis said the man would not let go of him, so he punched him in the face to create separation, which then allowed him to get his handcuffs out. The man, identified as John Flanagan, 38, of 1742 Lonsdale Ave. in Lincoln, continued to resist arrest. Davis said with the help of another patron and several bouncers, he was able to get Flanagan’s left wrist in handcuffs, but he continued to struggle and his body had be rolled several times before getting the other hand in cuffs. Davis said Flanagan continued to struggle and was trying to fight to get away until another officer arrived on scene and transported him to police headquarters, where he was photographed, printed, processed and placed in a cell to await arraignment. Davis said as Flanagan was being escorted to the cruiser, he continued to say that he did know Davis was a police officer and that he was sorry.

Flanagan was charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct and resisting legal or illegal arrest.