PORTSMOUTH POLICE REPORT

Portsmouth Police: Driver flashed middle finger before traffic stop

Posted 4/4/17

PORTSMOUTH — A Tiverton man who allegedly gave a patrol officer the finger before being pulled over was arrested on a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance last …

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PORTSMOUTH POLICE REPORT

Portsmouth Police: Driver flashed middle finger before traffic stop

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — A Tiverton man who allegedly gave a patrol officer the finger before being pulled over was arrested on a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance last week.

John F. Toner, 37, of 237 Hancock St., was also charged with driving while intoxicated (first offense) after his vehicle was pulled over around 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29.

Police said a patrol officer was on a traffic stop in the area of West Main Road and Prescott Point when he received a report from Middletown Police to check the condition of a driver who was headed into Portsmouth. 

As the black Jeep passed his location, the driver stuck his hand out and flashed the officer the middle finger, according to police. The officer gave chase and observed the driver tailgating the vehicle in front of him and also drifting out of the lane of travel, according to police. 

The vehicle was stopped on West Main Road near King Charles Drive. During a search of the Jeep, the officer found a prescription bottle of pills labeled “Diazepam” with Mr. Toner’s name on it, according to police. 

Police said the pills had different colors and they determined that some of them were amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, for which Mr. Toner could not produce a prescription.

Here are some more highlights from the Portsmouth Police reports from over the past week:

Wednesday, March 29

Kyle A. Yusen, 26, of 8 Ruth Ave., was charged with driving while intoxicated (first offense) after the car he was driving was pulled over for speeding on Boyd’s Lane near Park Avenue shortly after 1 a.m.

Thursday, March 30

A RIPTA bus was involved in a hit-and-run accident shortly before 12:30 p.m. on East Main Road near Martens Road. The bus driver, Daniel Silva of Smithfield, said he was traveling in the right, northbound lane on East Main Road near Eyler Drive when a truck passed him on the left and struck the driver’s side mirror. The bus operator moved to the right to prevent further damage, but his passenger side mirror then struck a pole, causing it to fall off, police said. None of the passengers on the bus were injured, according to police. After getting a partial description of the truck, police tracked the Ford Ranger truck to a food service company in Rumford and identified the driver as William Konicki of Cumberland. According to police, Mr. Konicki came to headquarters on April 3 and claimed he didn’t stop because he was unaware he had made contact with the bus.

Friday, March 31

William J. MacDonald, 44, of 19 St. Elizabeth St., Apt. 6, Bristol, was charged at about 2 a.m. with driving while intoxicated (first offense). Police said they pulled his vehicle over on Bristol Ferry Road near Botelho Drive because it straddled the lane divider at one point. 

Alfredo S. Velazquez, 48, of 49 Osborne St., Providence, was charged at about 2:50 a.m. with driving while intoxicated (first offense). Police pulled his vehicle over on West Main Road near Prescott Point for speeding. A records check revealed there was a felony Superior Court bench warrant for Mr. Velazquez’s arrest. 

Marc D. Carnegie, 53, of 98 Hargraves Drive, was charged with driving while intoxicated and refusal to submit to a chemical test at about 6:40 p.m. Police said they received three separate 911 calls regarding an erratic driver in the area of Stringham and West Main roads. Upon arrival, they found the vehicle parked on the side of the Stringham Road with the engine running and Mr. Carnegie asleep at the wheel, police said.

Portsmouth Police Department, crime news, arrests, police news

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.