Police Beat: Disorderly Conduct, Dangerous Weapons, Pedestrian Struck

The following incidents and arrests were provided by Johnston Police. They do not indicate convictions.

DRIVING ON COCAINE
Johnston Police charged a 43-year-old Johnston man with disorderly conduct, weapon law violations and driving under the influence Dec. 13 after a traffic stop on Plainfield Street.

Police said Joseph M. Noury, of 16 Alcazar Ave., was stopped for driving without a front license plate. Once stopped, Noury burst out of the car and began ripping his shirts off.

Police talked Noury back into his car and said his hands were shaking and a dollar bill was seen on the floor with a white powdery substance, which led police to believe he was under the influence of cocaine.

Because of the way Noury approached officers in an aggressive manner, police said, he was taken into custody for disorderly conduct. A search of his car turned up a three-inch knuckle knife, but no drugs were found after a K-9 unit responded to the scene.

Noury reportedly passed a sobriety test at police headquarters, but admitted to snorting cocaine with a friend earlier in the day. A blood sample was taken and sent for processing.

ASSAULT WITH A KNIFE
Johnston Police charged Michelle Freeman, 44, of 165 Federal Way, Johnston, with domestic felony assault with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and domestic disorderly conduct Dec. 16 after she allegedly attacked a 50-year-old man with a kitchen knife during a domestic dispute.

Police said they responded to the house after the man called 911 from the bathroom and said he was being attacked by Freeman, who reportedly came home drunk and was acting violent.

During the argument, Freeman reportedly punched and scratched the victim but got frustrated when he kept deflecting the blows. She then went into the kitchen and got two kitchen knives and tried to stab the victim, managing to cause a puncture wound on his arm.

Upon arrival, police said Freeman was belligerent and combative. She attempted to leave the scene on her own accord but was detained by police in the front yard. As she was being escorted to the police cruiser, she screamed that she had been beaten by the police, causing neighbors to step outside to see what was causing the commotion.

Police also charged the victim, identified as Clarence Ferrell, 50, of 165 Federal Way, Johnston, with disorderly conduct after he became belligerent during police questioning in the hallway. Police said Feerrell “began to act in a disorderly manner and did not keep the peace when we began to question the validity of his story,” according to a report.

MOTEL RIDE REQUEST LEADS TO JAIL
An attempt to get a ride from police to a motel led a 30-year-old Cranston woman to a night in jail and a trip to Maine for an outstanding warrant, police said.

According to police, Jennifer DesPlaines, 30, of 129 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, was wanted by Sanford, Me. police for failing to appear on a drug possession charge.

On Dec. 14 at around 10 p.m., Johnston Ptlmn. Derek Parascandolo was flagged down by DesPlaines and a man who were standing in front of the Bel-Air Motor Inn on Hartford Avenue.

They told the officer that they had been dropped off by a friend to rent a room at the motel but it was sold out and asked for a ride to the Sky View Inn.

Parascandolo ran a check of DesPlains’ information and found she was wanted out of Maine on the drug charge. Sanford Police, once contacted, said they would extradite DesPlaines, which led to her arrest.

She was also charged as being a fugitive from justice.

ASSAULT, QUARREL
Johnston Police charged Alma Guzman, 48, of 38 Switft St., Providence, with felony assault with a dangerous weapon, larceny and disorderly conduct for allegedly ramming the car of a woman involved with her estranged husband and taking her cell phone before driving away.

Police said Guzman reportedly entered the parking lot at 807 Hartford Ave. when her estranged husband and the victim were sitting in the victims car. She then hit the car’s front bumper with her own car, got out and snatched the victim’s Samsung cell phone out of her hand as she tried to call 911.

Guzman then left the scene in her car along with her husband.

The victim responded to Johnston Police Headquarters to report the incident and said she is in fear of Guzman. Police said they did see damage to the front of the victim’s car.

PEDESTRIAN STRUCK
A 52-year-old Johnston man was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after being hit by a car driven by a pizza delivery driver on George Waterman Road Dec. 16, police said.

The driver was not charged and reportedly stopped his car at the scene and called 911.

According to police, the pedestrian, identified as David Branin, was unable to recall what happened and was suffering from injuries to his head, face and left leg.

The driver, identified by police as Michael R. Ball, was on his way back to the pizza restaurant when Branin suddenly appeared in front of him on the road. He hit his brakes, but it was too late and Branin went onto the hood, hit the windshield and roof and then landed on the street.

Ball jumped out of his car and stopped nearby traffic as he called 911.

Branin was transported to Rhode Island Hospital and treated for lacerations on his face and upper body as well as his leg getting dislocated from his hip. He was listed in stable condition.

Police said Branin was struck on a dark stretch of the road and it was raining at the time of the accident.