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Crime & Safety

Police Log: Jan. 14 to Jan. 17

This is a summary of reports provided to JohnstonPatch by the Johnston Police Department for Jan. 14 to 17, 2011.

Arrest following death threat

Jason R. Catoni, 30, of 112 Auburn Ave., Cranston was arrested on a charge of domestic –disorderly conduct – third offense on Friday, Jan. 14. Catoni allegedly called his ex-girl friend and threatened to shoot her and her family, according to Patrolman Michael Edwards’ report. Catoni’s ex-girlfriend was staying with her father in Johnston because she broke up with Catoni on Jan. 13 and she was afraid of Catoni. She told Johnston police officers that Catoni has a “violent temper and angers easily.”  Catoni allegedly called his ex-girlfriend on her cell phone on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and stated that he was walking on Hartford Avenue and had a hand gun that he was going to use to “kill the family, and break out the window to the residence , as well as any vehicles there,” according to Edwards’ report.  Catoni called his ex-girlfriend while Edwards’ was there and Edwards heard the male voice yell, “If I have to walk all the way there I will be crazy out of my mind. You don’t want that!”

Patrolman David Loffler heard the radio communications of a male suspect described as wearing a balck jacket, black New York Yankees baseball cap and blue jeans. The communication stated the suspect was allegedly in possession of a hand gun, walking in the area of Hartford Avenue, and was identified as Jason Catoni. Loffler was at the intersection of Killingly Street and Hartford Avenue when he saw a man walking the in the parking lot of 377 Killingly Street that matched the description.  Sgt. David Alverson and Loffler drove into the parking lot on Killingly Street and confronted Catoni.  He was placed in handcuffs and searched. Catoni did not have a gun on him at the time of the arrest.

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Catoni was arraigned on the domestic disorderly conduct charge and bail was set at $1,000 personal recognizance.  Catoni was held without bail as a bail violator for a separate charge.

Five officers needed to subdue a man following a traffic stop

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Patrolman Kevin Brady attempted to make a traffic stop after he saw a van driving with a headlight out in the wrong travel lane at 1:27 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 16. When Brady turned on his emergency lights, the driver did not pull over.  Brady followed the van for about a half-mile at about 25 miles per hour and radioed the dispatcher that the driver was not stopping.  The driver pulled the 2008 Chevy van into the parking lot of The Ledges apartment complex and came to a stop in the middle of the parking lot, according to Brady’s report.

Brady asked the driver, Noel D. James, for his driver’s license. James replied, “Why do you need that? I didn’t do anything wrong,” according to Brady’s report. Brady asked James to exit the van. When James was getting out of the car he called someone on his cell phone and said, “Come downstairs the cops are busting my balls,” Brady stated in his report.  Brady asked James to place his hands on top of his head and James allegedly refused to cooperate. When Brady started to move James’ hands James turned and shoved Brady with both hands and said, “I’m not doing this” and began screaming “Help me. Help me.”

Sgt. Christopher DeCesare and Brady attempted to handcuff James as he struggled with the officers and continued to scream for help. DeCesare called for backup because James was not obeying the officers’ orders to stop resisting and place his hands behind his back.  Patrolmen Joseph Scichilone and Adam Catamero and Lt. Christopher Correia arrived at the scene. James was wrestled to the ground and warned that he would be sprayed with OC spray if he did not stop resisting. James pulled both of his hands underneath his stomach and would not allow the officers to handcuff him. James was sprayed with the OC but it only upset James more, according to DeCesare’s report. Brady attempted to spray James a second time and James allegedly hit Brady’s hand and exposed Brady to the spray. James was then tasered several times before he complied with the officers’ commands.

Noel D. James, 46, of 170 Federal Way, Johnston, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assault on a police officer.  He was released on $3,000 personal recognizance.

Sledge hammer threat leads to arraignment

A verbal altercation between drivers escalated to the point where one of the drivers brandished a sledge hammer and threatened the life of the other driver and his family.

Saturday night Gil Tavares was driving on Rachela Street with his wife and son. The road was narrower than usual because of the snow banks.  As they were stopped at the intersection a green SUV made the corner onto Rachela Street from Plainfield Street. The SUV stopped near Tavares’ truck.

The male driver of the SUV, Arthur W. Caparrelli, rolled down his window and yelled at Tavares, “Move your (expletive) truck over.” Tavares became upset and yelled back at Caparrelli. Both men then exited their cars.

Tavares told Johnston Patrolman Mark A. Bairos that Caparrelli fell when he was getting out of his SUV and then he took a yellow ax or sledgehammer out from the back of the SUV. Caparrelli approached Tavares and came within five to six feet of him and said “he was going to come back and kill him and his family, and then chop him up into pieces,” according to Bairos’ report. 

Tavares said Caparrelli charged at him several times while brandishing the sledgehammer as the two continued to argue.  Tavares told his wife to call the 9-1-1. Caparrelli then got back into the SUV and drove north on Rachela Street. Tavares told Bairos that Caparrelli was unsteady on his feet and appeared to be intoxicated.

A check of SUV’s registration revealed that the owner lived on Plainfield Street. Patrolman Stephen R. Altomari drove to the address and spoke with the owner. He learned that the owner’s husband was driving the vehicle. Altomari spoke with Caparrelli on his cell phone and Caparrelli said he would return home to give Altomari his account of the incident.

Caparrelli’s sister, Katie Waterman, was driving the SUV when they returned and Caparrelli was the passenger.  Waterman told Capt. Robert P. Menard that she drove Caparrelli to Tom’s Auto Repair after the altercation because Caparrelli told her he had to drop off an auto part.  Menard and Sgt. Boulet drove to Tom’s Auto Repair and saw a yellow handle sticking out of a snow bank.

The object was a sledge hammer with a yellow handle. Caparrelli was arraigned on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon and was released on $10,000 personal recognizance.

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