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Superior Court Briefs: Jan. 23 - Jan. 25
Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Tuesday, January 23.
Brian Aherne, 40, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to a single count of larceny by embezzlement.
The charge was continued without a finding for one year. Aherne took approximately $5,000 from the estate of Corrine Wise between October 1, 2010 and October 31, 2012.
Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Thursday, January 26.
Brett Logan, 35, and Karisa Miranda-Ruiz, 35, both of North Adams were found not guilty of a single count of reckless endangerment of a child.
Logan and Miranda-Ruiz were accused of knowing that an 11-month-old child was being abused and did not report it between September 1, 2014 and October 5, 2014.
Timothy Herring, 35, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine.
He was ordered to serve 18 months at the Berkshire County House of Correction on the possession of heroin charge. He was given concurrent time of the other.
The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Lanesborough on March 19, 2016.
Adams Police Investigating Shooting That Injured One
Update at 9:07 p.m.: Authorities are still not revealing the identity of the Adams man who was shot Wednesday afternoon but say he is expected to survive.
There is no indication that the shooter has been arrested. Adams Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or have other information to contact the station at 413-743-1212.
According a statement from the district attorney's office late Wednesday, police recieved a call of shots fired on North Summer Street at 3:45 p.m. and found a man suffering from gunshot wounds at 30 North Summer.
He was taken taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, where he underwent surgery. He remains hospitalized. The man's name, age and any relationship he may have had with the shooter are not being divulged at this time.
The investigation is being conducted by members of the Adams and North Adams police departments, the Berkshire County sheriff's office, state troopers assigned to the district attorney's office, members of the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force and the State Police Crime Scene Services and Ballistics Sections and chemists assigned to the Crime Lab.
Police tape cordons off an apartment on North Summer Street where the shooting occurred.
Original post at 5:36 p.m.:
ADAMS, Mass. — Police are investigating a shooting on North Summer Street that occurred around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
Police Chief Richard Tarsa declined to provide detailed information at this point other than to confirm that someone was shot at 30 North Summer St. He said more information would be available later.
"There was a report of a shooting and officers were detailed and are actively investigating it and someone was transported to BMC with injuries," Tarsa said at the scene. "It's still early in the investigation and we don't want to compromise anything."
The large apartment building at 28-30 North Summer has police tape across the front stairs to 30 North Summer. The building, which has a number of units in it, is located at the corner of North Summer and Jordan street.
Both state police and Adams Police cruisers were parked in front of the building. According to reports on social media, several ambulances had initially responded to the scene. Neighbors were cautioned to stay in their homes.
Police also had stopped and taken a person into custody in a dramatic encounter sometime after 4 p.m. in the middle of Columbia Street, at the intersection of Cook Street. He reportedly has been released and it is not clear he had anything to do with the shooting.
Steele-Knudslien Arraigned on Murder Charge in Superior Court
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man accused of killing his wife was arraigned Monday morning in Berkshire Superior Court on a murder charge.
Mark S. Steele-Knudslien, 47, entered a plea of not guilty of one charge of murder in connection with the death of his wife, 42-year-old Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien.
Steele-Knudslien allegedly beat his wife with a hammer and stabbed her on the evening of Jan. 5 in their Veazie Street home in North Adams. Police say they discovered her body, wrapped up in the basement, after her husband entered the Adams Police Station hours later to report the crime.
Judge John Agostini ordered Steele-Knudslien continued to be held without bail at the Berkshire County House of Correction. Steele-Knudslien had previously entered a not-guilty plea in Northern Berkshire District Court on Jan. 8.
The couple had apparently lived in Adams and, before that, the Springfield area before moving to North Adams last March. They were married in April 2017.
The investigation is being conducted by state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office, members of the North Adams and Adams police departments and the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section.
Superior Court Briefs: Jan. 18
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Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Thursday, January 18.
Chelsey Roy, 29, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of reckless endangerment of a child and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon.
She was ordered to serve one year of a two-year sentence at the Western Massachusetts Woman's Correctional Center and placed on two-years probation.
The incidents involved a child who was 11-months-old at the time between September 1, 2014 and October 5, 2014.
Single counts of assault and battery upon a child with injury and assault and battery upon a child were dismissed by the state.
Thomas Johnson, 40, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, and trafficking in heroin.
He was released on $2,500 bail. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at his home on December 12, 2017.
Negotiators Talk Man Out Of Harming Self In Pittsfield Hotel Room
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police negotiators were able to talk a man out of harming himself inside a local hotel room.
The Berkshire County Special Response Team successfully convinced the unnamed individual who had reportedly threatened to harm himself after three hours at the Econo Lodge on Cheshire Road.
"Shortly after 9 o'clock this morning we received information through the crisis team that one of their clients had contacted clinician, despondent, possible intoxicated, and made the threats to do harm to himself. He indicated that he may have had access to a weapon," Police Chief Michael Wynn said.
Patrolmen located the individual's vehicle at the hotel, confirmed he was in the room, and then the Special Response Team took over the scene.
Police secured the scene and negotiators with the Special Response Team eventually convinced the man to exit the room without incident.
"Negotiators managed to contact him by phone. They convinced him to come out. He exited and was taken into custody without incident and he is being transported to the hospital for evaluation," Wynn said.
Around 1 p.m. the Action Ambulance, with police escorts, took the man to Berkshire Medical Center.
"We did not recover a firearm. We did recover a knife," Wynn said.
During the three hours, other guests in the room were either evacuated or told to shelter in place.
