Teenager Shot in Pittsfield; One Juvenile Arrested
By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
The O'Connell's convenience store was closed Monday morning while police investigated.
UPDATED: Tuesday, August 19 at 9:24 a.m.
Police say they are no longer searching for another suspect. However, they are still looking for witnesses.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A 17-year-old man was shot at the intersection of First and Tyler Streets on Monday morning.
One juvenile has been arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.
Police have not released the name of the suspects or the victim.
Police say officers responded to the reports of shots being fired shortly before 9 a.m. A nearby ambulance was "flagged down" and a 17-year-old victim was taken to nearby Berkshire Medical Center, where he underwent surgery.
Police, with the Berkshire County sheriff's department and state police, launched a search for two suspects who had fled on foot.
According to scanner reports, a K-9 unit was asked to meet with state police near the scene for an article search at about 10:30 a.m.
The O'Connell's convenience store and gas station at that intersection was roped off with police tape and closed for several hours; a section of nearby Bradford Street was also blocked off.
On Stoddard Avenue, police were outside of a green and white duplex where the porch, too, had been roped off. Possible witnesses were being interviewed near the home.
Police believe at least two more people were involved in the shooting and are asking any one with information to contact the Detective Bureau at 413-448-9705.
Pittsfield Home Struck By Lightning
Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Lightning stuck an Onota Street home Tuesday night, setting it on fire and damaging the electrical systems.
According to Deputy Chief Michael Polidoro, three engines responded to a structure fire at 24 Onota St. and upon arrival found a small fire. Firefighters quickly snuffed out the blaze, which damaged the exterior siding and the utilities on the two-family structure.
Onota Street was closed to traffic from West Street to Schuyler Street for more than an hour while three engines, Police, Berkshire Gas, the building inspector and Western Mass Electric Co. responded in the thunderstorm.
The lightning struck the home at about 9:30 p.m.
Pittsfield Police Release Cause Of Fatal Crash at PHS
Staff Reports
The car was seen speeding through the intersection of Second and East Streets.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police say the driver of the car that slammed into the front of Pittsfield High School in January was high on PCP.
The January crash killed Tariq Sally, 34, and Ernest Duck Jr., 37.
The two were in a white 2013 Nassan Altima, owned by Hertz Corp., that was traveling more than 100 mph through the Second Street intersection when it slammed into the wall outside of the school.
Police on Wednesday said toxicology showed the driver, Duck, was found to have phencyclidine (PCP) and marijuana in his system. PCP is commonly mixed with marijuana and has hallucinogenic properties.
Duck reportedly had 270 nanograms per milliliter in his system, police say, and studies from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has shown that patients with half that dosage have shown psychotic behavior — such as mania, depression and schizophrenia.
"Based upon all available evidence, it is apparent that the cause of the crash is the fact that Mr. Duck Jr. was under the influence of PCP and was not able to safely operate a motor vehicle," according to the police report.
Police have also ruled out that the vehicle itself was defective. Police say the vehicle was being actively steered and was negotiated through traffic as it approached East Street. The vehicle's airbag control recorded no diagnostic trouble codes for any component of the throttle or braking system. The vehicle accelerated for the five seconds leading to the crash with only some last second braking, police said.
Duck was not wearing a seat belt at the time; Salley was.
Witnesses also attested that the vehicle was not being chased, despite multiple rumors following the crash that they were.
The crash not only triggered a massive response from the police and fire departments but also fueled an array of rumors as to what led to the crash. Police had suspicions then of the cause but hadn't released any information until this week, after medical examination reports were returned.
Because of a large influx of family and friends of the victims descending on the hospital at the time, Berkshire Medical Center implemented additional security measures, which fueled even more speculation.
Hospital officials at the time said some secondary doors were locked earlier than normal and the Berkshire County sheriff's department assisted hospital security in ensuring access during the "considerable influx" of people to the emergency room.
Pittsfield Firefighters Battle 2-Alarm Blaze on Daniels Ave.
Staff Reports
A condominium building on Daniels Avenue suffered extensive damage after a fire on Monday night.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A two-alarm fire on Daniels Avenue late Monday night ripped through three-story building and left two firefighters reeling from heat exhaustion.
According to the report by Deputy Chief Bruce Kilmer, firefighters responded with five engines and a ladder truck to the 133 Daniels Ave. about 10:37 p.m. There was heavy fire showing on the front of the wood-frame building near the corner of Madison Avenue.
"Upon our arrival, aggressive attack with landlines by first arriving crews slowed the fire," wrote Kilmer.
There was no one in the building during the fire but three families were displaced and being aided by the Red Cross with temporary housing.
Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and dehydration, one at the scene and the other after being transported to Berkshire Medical Center.
The building is considered a major loss because of fire, smoke and water damage. It sustained severe structural damage to the first floor that extended into the second floor and partway into the third floor. The building was insured.
The structure contained condominium units developed by Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Berkshire Gas Reports Customers Getting Fraudulent Calls
Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Gas is reporting some of its business customers are being contacted by scammers claiming they are behind on their accounts and demanding immediate payment.
According to Berkshire Gas, the callers are asking for payment by credit over the phone.
Several of the fraudulent calls have showed up as originating from 617-419-5406 in the recipients caller ID. Berkshire Gas said it has reported this information to the state police, the attorney general's office and the Department of Public Utilities.
The scam sounds similar to one last year in which callers targeted local businesses claiming to be from National Grid and demanding they purchase money cards to pay their overdue bills.
Berkshire Gas says it never seeks immediate payment of overdue accounts by credit card, or any other method, over the telephone. If you receive such a call, contact their customer information center at 1-800-292-5012 to report it.
If a Berkshire Gas customer ever doubts the authenticity of any call that they receive from Berkshire Gas, they should hang up and call the Berkshire Gas customer information center at 1-800-292-5012 to verify that the call was actually form Berkshire Gas, or one of its authorized representatives.
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The O'Connell's convenience store was closed Monday morning while police investigated.
The car was seen speeding through the intersection of Second and East Streets.
A condominium building on Daniels Avenue suffered extensive damage after a fire on Monday night. 
