(VIDEO) Saturday Night Review: “A Detective’s Wedding Night”

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HYANNIS- It was one of those nights.  Hyannis News hit the road and did not stop moving until well after daybreak.

As I’m typing I’m trying not to rush this piece, it’ 4:00am and our local first responders are still full-out busy.  A telephone poll is currently blocking Ocean Street and police are still out in the neighborhoods gathering up drunks.  At least one officer is in the emergency room checking on a victim, while others are doing their own writing, reports, and lots of them…

THE VICTORY CHAPEL DEMONSTRATION was tamer than weeks past, mostly due to their new location for their weekly sidewalk preach-a-rama.  Two weeks ago Victory Chapel members were exercising their right to Freedom of Speech, while others hollered back, turning our sidewalks into a disturbing disruptive spectacle.  This week was calmer, Schooners was not directly across the street… and the mini-golfers at Steve and Sue’s seemed to care less.

HOW DO YOU TELL A BIG STORY THAT WASN’T?  (COMPLETE WITH RIVITING HYANNIS NEWS FOOTAGE! FELONS CAUGHT ON TAPE! - the video you WON’T get a chance to see…) 

ANSWER: You don’t – at least not all of it… but here goes nothing (So to speak…)

At approximately 10:30pm a woman reported being robbed of her handbag in the North Street area.  Barnstable Police responded and initially learned that one of the two thieves presented a knife.  A description was given out to all patrols and one of the young men was reportedly over 6 feet tall and wearing a “GREEN TRENCH COAT!”  (Yes, a green trench coat! I can’t make this stuff up…)

Hyannis News was monitoring the Barnstable Police Operations Frequency, taking notes, trying not to leave out even the tiniest detail regarding the armed thieves when a young man strolled by in a GREEN TRENCH COAT!  I referred to my notes, then carefully examined the man in the long coat… referred to my notes again, just to make sure my cigar smoke wasn’t playing tricks on my tired brain… After several moments of careful sleuth-like deduction I came to the conclusion that either this man had just stolen that particular trench coat from one of the thieves, or he was in fact the GREEN TRENCH COAT BANDIT!  He and his accomplice were getting into a vehicle attempting to leave the area and something needed to be done about it.

It was hardly a STARSKY AND HUTCH maneuver, more like a cruise up behind them and follow type move, but Hyannis News was now right behind the two suspects- these were, after all, armed purse-thieves… OH BOY!

I called 911 and relayed our direction of travel like an old pro- wait, let me rephrase that- like an elderly pro, with memory issues- it took me a moment to properly manage to belt out the correct direction of travel, but I got much better at it as the slow pursuit continued down Main Street (the Barnstable Police Officers who do this type of multitasking routinely are the real pros and we’re lucky to have them…).

To make a long story short, multiple police units converged on our location within moments… the gig was up!  Hyannis News had a part in capturing two armed purse thieves… COOL!  …but wait!

To make a long story even shorter… after all was said and done, we did have the correct suspects (how could I miss the dude sporting a trench coat in August)…   But that’s where this seemingly splendiferous tale ends.  After further investigation into the caper, officers learned of another side to the story and it turned out that there were inconsistencies and a lack of cooperation in the “victim’s” initial reports.  No arrests were made and things ended up different than everyone originally believed.  No arrest, no video, no story - weird, but that’s HyTown.  Things are not always the way they seem, and police spend a good deal of their time smack dab in the middle of this type of uncertainty every night.   

A couple of Officers thanked me for my efforts, but in strange twisted way I wish I had a better story to tell, but I don’t.  Next…

INTOXICATED MOTORIST STRIKES RUSSIAN STUDENT ON BICYCLE

At approximately 8:00pm Officer Brendan Burchill was running radar on West Main Street when a motorist in a red Grand Am flew by doing 70 MPH in a 35 MPH zone.  Before he could catch up, the vehicle apparently struck a young Russian man riding a bicycle in front of Barnstable High School... but Officer Burchill did not see the collision and finally pulled the man over in the area of Strawberry Hill Road.   Upon approaching the vehicle the intoxicated driver blurted out, “I’m the one who did it… I’m the guy you’re looking for.”  Strangely, there was broken glass in the man’s hair, as well as the car’s interior.

At the same time witnesses were calling dispatch regarding the hit and run accident.  Via radio, Officer Burchill soon learned the truth behind the perplexing confession, placing the driver under arrest for Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Personal Injury and Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol and various illicit drugs.

The Russian bicyclist was not severely injured and was treated at the scene, refusing to be transported to the hospital.

ANGRY MAN ARRESTED AFTER BANGING ON SHOP WINDOWS

At approximately 11pm police were called to the parking area of the Roadhouse Café for a man creating a disturbance and angrily banging on shop windows in the area.  Police were familiar with the suspect, but despite efforts to calm him down, needed to place him under arrest for Disorderly Conduct.

Apparently he had also been recently “Trespassed” from nearby shops and should not have been on or about the premises.

DETECTIVE BRIAN GUINEY GOT MARRIED

Officers did a good job covering for one another as a veteran officer with over 20 years of exemplary service on the Barnstable Police force “tied the knot.”

Congratulations Brian.