Latest news with #WorcesterPolice
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Four-year-old boy drowns in Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester
A 4-year-old boy drowned in Worcester's Lake Quinsigamond on Tuesday, according to police. Worcester police responded to the area of Bridle Path — a road which borders the lake to the west — shortly after 5 p.m., a Worcester police spokesperson said. Officers found the boy inside a home and were told that he was found unresponsive in Lake Quinsigamond. Paramedics rushed the boy to a local hospital where he was declared dead, police said. No further information — including the boy's identity — has been released. Mega Millions numbers: Are you the lucky winner of Tuesday's $243 million jackpot? Mass. attorney general cites rehab company for $1.1M for unpaid wages to workers Double shooting in Brockton leaves woman and boy injured Springfield Council takes 1st step to ban unregulated 'gas station weed' Springfield grants $3.5M for 19 preservation projects, rejects 1 housing request Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police: 4-year-old boy dies after being found unresponsive in Lake Quinsigamond
An investigation is underway after a boy drowned in Lake Quinsigamond on Tuesday. According to Worcester Police, officers were called to the area of Bridle Path just after 5 p.m. for a report of an unresponsive 4-year-old. Officers found the boy inside a home where residents told them he was found unresponsive in Lake Quinsigamond. The 4-year-old was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. The boy's identity is not being released at this time. The facts and circumstances surrounding are being actively investigated. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
No homicides so far in 2025, Worcester Police report; 16 recorded in 2024
WORCESTER — As the city begins the second week of June, Worcester can boast something that it couldn't this time last year: no homicides so far this year. This time last year, Worcester had seven homicides, six of which were from firearms, Chief Paul Saucier said. 'These things happen in cycles,' Saucier said. 'Could they erupt right now? Yeah. But we have things in place so when it does erupt to go after it.' Worcester's first homicide in 2024 was in February, a month that had two homicides, which was followed by two homicides in March and three homicides in April. There were no homicides in the city in May and June 2024. In August, a mother and daughter were stabbed to death. While September had no homicides, October saw two homicides in the city, followed by three in November and ending with two in December. According to the FBI's online Crime Data Explorer, the 16 homicides in 2024 are the most reported by Worcester since 1986, the earliest year the data is shown. Police records and Telegram & Gazette coverage confirm these findings. As of 5 p.m. Friday, June 6, the city hasn't had a single homicide. In 2025, there has been seven nonfatal shootings with eight victims and 27 nonfatal stabbings in the city so far this year. 'We're able with this unit to go out there and investigate every single shot fired, including every single ShotSpotter incident. And then these guys are able to get there. They can gather evidence on the scene. They can gather video. And they have the time to put this all together, where in the past detectives were so busy,' Saucier said. 'If nobody was hit and there was no property crime, you really wouldn't see much more investigation into it. So by working this group and that's all they do, they can concentrate on those dangerous offenders and take them off the street. 'You have to have a lot of different methods in order to combat gun violence,' Saucier added. 'Between programs and suppression, everything has to combine and then you do have to be lucky as well, because you could have one person out there who could be a crime spree themselves.' Although no one can know why there have been no homicides in the city this year so far, Saucier said he thinks several Worcester Police Department outreach programs have contributed to the drop. 'We always have a somewhat lower homicide rate than comparable cities and I believe a lot of it has to do with the programs that we do conduct,' Saucier said. 'We started a new program this year. It's called the Worcester Police Scholar Engagement Program and that's within the Worcester Public Schools, where we were in 32 schools, spoke to 2,000 students.' Saucier said the program explores the difference between a gang and a group, myths about gang membership, and the consequences of drug involvement and social media. 'What we try to do is we go into every health class in the city, sixth grade,' Saucier said. 'We figure that is the age where we need to pay the most attention to the students, because once you get into junior high, it can go either way.' Saucier said the Worcester Police Department wants to have a positive impact in the school. Since resource officers are no longer in the schools, Saucier said the Worcester police still want to create that relationship and the understanding where children trust in police, knowing when they have a problem, the police will come to them. In addition, the Worcester Police offers PAAL League Basketball for 14-week spring and fall programs, as well as the Worcester Police and Clergy Youth Mentoring, and Arts and Music Police Partnership programs. The Police Department's Summer Impact program, aimed at deterring violence during the warmer months, began Memorial Day weekend. 'We're going to increase that and keep it going, hopefully, until September, October this year because, when school starts, violence erupts again,' Saucier said. Then, there is the Worcester Police Department's enforcement and suppression. Saucier said his department works extensively with Ronald B. Waddell, executive director and co-founder of Legendary Legacies. Waddell is a certified gang specialist through the National Gang Crime and Research Center and a certified youth mental health specialist. Calling programs including Legendary Legacies 'violence interrupters,' Saucier stressed the importance of having people who can communicate and relate with 'kids in the street.' The Worcester Police Department also launched its Crime Gun Intelligence Unit in April 2024, which works closely with the State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 'Departmentwise, so far this year we have confiscated 43 crime guns. Sixteen of those came from the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit. And the big thing is they were able to trace 209 crime guns,' Saucier said. 'One gun could be responsible for nine shootings. So it's very important. Those 43 guns we got, how many lives were saved by confiscating those crime guns.' Having police visible and involved in community engagement program is also a huge deterrent to violent crime, Saucier said. 'Every day, during their shift, they need to get out of the cruiser, walk around for 30 minutes, talk to people, but they're being seen,' Saucier said. 'You're creating that human-to-human contact instead of just a cop driving by in a car. That's a huge thing for us and I think it works.' This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: No homicides so far in 2025, Worcester Police report; 16 in 2024
CBS News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Worcester city councilor charged with assaulting police during ICE operation
A Worcester city councilor has been charged with assaulting and interfering with police officers during a chaotic ICE operation in the city last month. District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj can be seen in body camera video when crowds began swarming federal agents on Eureka Street on the morning of May 8. The crowd tried to stop ICE agents from taking a woman into custody. Two other people were arrested during the incident. According to the criminal complaint, Haxhiaj repeatedly identified herself as a Worcester city councilor and was observed "pulling the restraints of the arrested as they were being escorted to the transport vehicle." Police said Haxhiaj ignored requests to move away from the vehicle and allegedly pushed an officer away by striking them in the chest. A few minutes later, while another person was being arrested, Haxhiaj allegedly pulled the officer's arm. Haxhiaj has been charged with assault and battery on a police officer and interfering with a police officer. The President of the Worcester Police Patrolmen's Union told WBZ Haxhiaj was "inciting the crowd" and video showed "officers acted totally appropriately in a very difficult, chaotic situation." "Targeted and vilified" Haxhiaj released a statement saying she looks forward to responding to the charges in court. "Protecting the most vulnerable should not lead to being targeted and vilified," Haxhiaj said. "And working to improve policing in our city by calling for oversight and accountability should not provoke political grandstanding and attacks." Haxhiaj's arraignment is scheduled for July 23.
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Democrat councilwoman BLOCKS arrest of migrant who beat up her pregnant daughter
Police bodycam footage captured the chaotic moment a Massachusetts councilwoman attempted to block the arrest of a migrant who allegedly beat up her pregnant daughter. The intense encounter took place on May 8 in Worcester - about 50 minutes outside of Boston - when ICE agents confronted a crowd of about 25 'unruly' activists as they tried to arrest Rosane Ferreira de Oliveira. De Oliveira, 40, entered the US illegally in August 2022. While agents attempted to apprehend de Oliveira, who is accused of assaulting her pregnant 16-year-old daughter, Democrat City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj was seen grabbing ICE officers and shouting at them to 'get out of our neighborhood.' Following the dramatic incident, authorities said Haxhiaj 'incited aggression towards the police' and 'eventually assaulted both Worcester police and federal law enforcement officers on scene.' The Worcester Police Patrolman's Union also noted that the councilwoman's 'behavior also emboldened others to act in this manner,' as many bystanders were seen filming the moment and also screaming at officers. Officials have called for an ethics investigation to take place following the ordeal, as Massachusetts US Attorney Leah Foley warned that her office will look into anyone who tries to interfere with ICE operations, including elected officials. 'This conduct poses significant public and officer safety risks. It is conduct that should be vilified rather than glorified,' Foley said. The overwhelming scene began when police officers arrived to help ICE officers who requested assistance with the rowdy crowd. De Oliveira's teenage daughter, dressed in a black and white sweater vest, was seen with her face on the hood of a car as officers surrounded her. Haxhiaj was then seen interfering, as she put her finger in an officer's face before turning to the 16-year-old, screaming: 'Let her go! Do not touch her!' Other people then gathered around the scene as the teen suspect shouted: 'Don't touch me!' 'Don't touch her!,' Haxhiaj then yelled as she shoved an ICE officer's arm and tried to get a hold of the girl. During another moment, the councilwoman was seen arguing with several officers on the sidewalk begging them to let the teenager go. 'She hasn't done anything. She's traumatized. She's my constituent!,' she yelled as officers pushed her back. Haxhiaj added: 'She's my constituent and you're hurting her!' She then questioned why the minor was being arrested, telling officers: 'She has done nothing!' An officer then addressed her as councilor and warned her to back away. He continued: 'Back away and get your hands off of us!' Both de Oliveira and her teenage daughter, who has not been named, were taken into custody after the minor ran after the car her mother was in and kicked its passenger side, according to Mass Live. Just before she ran toward the vehicle, she handed off her sister's child to another person. The juvenile was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. She was later released from custody. De Oliveira, who authorities said is a 'violent criminal illegal alien,' has been charged with endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The Worcester Police Department said the investigation is ongoing, Fox News reported.
