Johnston Man Nabbed on DUI Tries to Use 'Get out of Jail Free Card'

A local man tried to get out of DUI and reckless driving charges by telling officers that he had a "get out of jail free card" because he had told them where to find the suspected assailant in an Aug. 4 samurai sword attack, reported.

Timothy Little, 24, of 32 Angell St., is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial hearing on Sept. 14 on the filed by Johnston Police following the Aug. 4 incident.

Little is scheduled to appear for arraignment today in Third District Court, Warwick, on misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence, BAC unknown; reckless driving; driving with a suspended license; and disorderly conduct.

He also faces a separate vandalism charge after a local officer reported seeing Little break the cover off an electrical outlet in the detention area of the police station as he awaited processing.

On Sept. 1, Sgt. Seth Crosby reported that he saw a car run a red light at George Waterman Road and Putnam Pike at about 12:20 am.

According to Crosby, the driver — later identified as Little — sped away and kept driving until he returned to his home.

When Little got out of his car, Crosby wrote, he "began yelling 'Where's [sic] the day shift cops, I got a get out of jail free card,'" and told Crosby to "call the Chief [Richard Tamburini], I know the Chief, he said I get a free one."

Crosby reported that Little's license had been suspended, and that Little appeared to be drunk.

Little also said that he'd "had Rhode Island's Most Wanted, Michael Gomes, arrested," according to Crosby's report.

[Gomes is currently waiting trial on a felony assault charge after witnesses identified him as the assailant in the that injured David Teague. A status conference is scheduled for Oct. 1.]

Crosby also noted that Little's car had two different registration plates, and that were both expired.

Capt. Frank Levesque also responded to the scene, and reported that Little refused a Breathalyzer test.

Little also "refused to be fingerprinted," according to Levesque's report, and "became even more belligerent and abusive" after again demanding to speak with Tamburini.

When officers allowed him to use the bathroom, Little attempted to choke himself, and Levesque reported that he had to go into the bathroom and restrain Little.

As officers secured him to a detention bench, Little "began to punch himself in the head several times," Levesque wrote, apparently trying to cause injuries that would appear to be from officers hitting him.

Ptlm. Viet-Hung Nguyen reported that he was in the communications dispatch office when he saw Little, who had been secured on teh detention bench, kick the electrical outlet "mutiple times," breaking off the plastic cover.

Officers charged him with a misdemeanor charge of vandalism, and later took him to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital for detoxification.