Police/Fire

Two Men Indicted for Shooting in Watertown by Middlesex Grand Jury

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A grand jury indicted two men for shooting a third man in an Arsenal Street home in February. Also, a man was indicted on drug trafficking charges in an unrelated incident. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office announced the grand jury indictments on Thursday. Carlos Castillo and Randell Glenn were arrested for the shooting that allegedly occurred when they tried to take marijuana and money from a drug dealer, who fought back. Castillo, 19, of Boston, was charged with armed assault in a dwelling, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, assault and battery by discharging a firearm, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm without a license, and possession of a loaded firearm. The Assistant District Attorney is Clarence Brown.

Cancer

Watertown Fire Department Making Efforts to Avoid Risks of Cancer

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The past 18 months have been a difficult for the Watertown Fire Department, with two deaths within the department, and Fire Chief Bob Quinn wants to take steps to prevent further tragedies. In March 2017, Firefighter Joe Toscano collapsed and died from heart failure while fighting a fire. Then in October, Fire Chief Mario Orangio died after months battling pancreatic cancer, which is one of the types of cancer which firefighters are more at risk of getting. This year, Quinn has put an emphasis on the health and safety of his firefighters. This includes strength, conditioning, nutrition, stress managment, as well as reducing the risk of on-the-job cancer.

Arrests

Police Log: Man Arrested on Fugitive from Justice Warrant, Multiple OUI Arrests

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
May 21, 1:19 a.m.: An officer spotted a vehicle heading eastbound on Main Street and then make a sharp right turn onto Pleasant Street, which is one way the opposite direction at that point. The officer stopped the driver and while speaking with the him the officer detected a strong odor of alcohol from the driver. The driver admitted to drinking alcohol before driving. He failed four field sobriety tests.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Online Car Purchase Goes Wrong, Threats Made to Tufts Employee

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrest
May 16, 9:51 p.m.: An officer pulled a over vehicle on Mt. Auburn Street after the driver failed to use a turn signal. When the officer checked the driver’s record it revealed the driver had an out-of-state warrant. The 27-year-old Watertown man was arrested of the fugitive from justice warrant for a charge from Nebraska in a domestic-related incident.

Police/Fire

Police Want to Make Immigrants Feel Welcome, Cut Down on Drugs in Town

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Watertown Police Chief Michael Lawn hopes to make the town welcoming to most people, including immigrants, but he wants officers to put more emphasis on enforcing traffic infractions as part of an effort to cut down on the amount of drugs in the area. 

Lawn spoke about the Police Department’s priorities during the budget hearing in front of the Town Council on Saturday. Since he became Police Chief two years ago Lawn has put an emphasis on community policing. “I want officers to get out of their car and get into stores and on the street and speak with people,” Lawn said. The Police Department has a number of programs where residents can meet police  in and participate in fun activities, such as the Cops & Rec sports activities for youngsters, the twice-monthly Coffee with the Chief at the Senior Center, and the Citizens Police Academy (which will be back this fall). Lawn wants to start offering a similar academy for youth, a program that the WPD used to offer and which Lawn himself attended.

Around Town

Registration Open for Cops & Rec Basketball, Hockey and Rock Climbing

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Children can get to know members of the Watertown Police Department and have some fun during the Cops & Rec programs.

There are three programs which are filled on a first come, first served basis. Register for the programs online by clicking here, or in person at the Recreation Office in Town Hall, 149 Main St., Watertown. Cops & Rec Basketball League

The Watertown Recreation and Police Department are collaborating to offer a summer basketball league. The general objectives of the program are to promote sportsmanship and teamwork in a fun and positive setting, while focusing on basketball fundamentals. There will be a girls league and a boys league.

Arrest

Police Log: Overnight Break In at Sprint Store, Man Can’t Escape Shoplifting Charge

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
May 9, 1:18 a.m.: A man flagged down a police officer patrolling on Main Street near Town Hall. He did not have a particular problem, he just wanted to speak with the officer. While talking with the man, the officer discovered the man had a warrant for his arrest. The 35-year-old Lakeville man was arrested on the warrant from Hingham District Court for violating the terms of probation.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Practice Real-Life Situations in Life-Sized Simulator

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A man with a knife has cornered three students in the school library and is threatening to stab them. A husband barges into his wife’s workplace and has a man by the collar and is screaming at him. These are just two such situations police officers may encounter, and they only have seconds to decide how to respond. 
Members of the Watertown Police Department recently got a chance to practice  how to handle these scenarios using high tech equipment that turns the department’s shooting range into a realistic, life-sized, interactive simulation. Every officer must go through the training, which uses the Fire Arms Training Simulator made by Meggitt Training. The equipment, which costs many tens-0f-thousands of dollars, was donated to the WPD by Wyc Grousbeck, an entrepreneur and co-owner and CEO of the Boston Celtics.