Pittsfield Man Found Guilty After Stabbing

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Friday, March 10 in Berkshire Superior Court Joshua Lofink was found guilty on all counts: 2 counts of Mayhem; 2 counts of Assault and Battery by Means of a Dangerous Weapon causing Serious Bodily Injury with a knife; and 2 counts of Vandalism, slashing tires on a car. 
 
Lofink, a resident of Pittsfield in his late 30s, has a criminal history in Massachusetts, Connecticut and California. Sentencing will take place on Tuesday, March 14. Honorable Judge Agostini presided.
 
On Sept. 16, 2021, at 10:30pm police were dispatched to the area of Tyler Street and Curtis Terrace for the report of a stabbing. 
 
When the officers arrived, they noted that there were several vehicles in the roadway and two male victims with stab wounds who were identified as Ernest Ferry and Jamie Hassan. Both victims sustained serious injuries and were immediately transferred to Berkshire Medical Center.  Two vehicles involved in the incident had their tires slashed.
 
As reported by the District Attorney's Office, the injuries sustained by Ferry and Hassan were so severe that they continue to affect their daily lives.  
 
Bystanders at the scene assisted in both helping the victims and bringing attention to the area Lofink fled following the incident. 
 
The Pittsfield Police Department led the investigation. Assistant District Attorney Amy Winston represented the Commonwealth. Victim Witness Advocates Tarra Jones-Nutting and Jason Pilot supported the victims and witnesses throughout the investigation and trial.
 
 

Tags: district attorney,   stabbing,   

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Letter: Is the Select Board Listening to Dalton Voters?

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

A reasonable expectation by the people of a community is that their Select Board rises above personal preference and represents the collective interests of the community. On Tuesday night [Nov. 12], what occurred is reason for concern that might not be true in Dalton.

This all began when a Select Board member submitted his resignation effective Oct. 1 to the Town Clerk. Wishing to fill the vacated Select Board seat, in good faith I followed the state law, prepared a petition, and collected the required 200-plus signatures of which the Town Clerk certified 223. The Town Manager, who already had a copy of the Select Board member's resignation, was notified of the certified petitions the following day. All required steps had been completed.

Or had they? At the Oct. 9 Select Board meeting when Board members discussed the submitted petition, there was no mention about how they were informed of the petition or that they had not seen the resignation letter. Then a month later at the Nov. 12 Select Board meeting we learn that providing the resignation letter and certified petitions to the Town Manager was insufficient. However, by informing the Town Manager back in October the Select Board had been informed. Thus, the contentions raised at the Nov. 12 meeting by John Boyle seem like a thinly veiled attempt to delay a decision until the end of January deadline to have a special election has passed.

If this is happening with the Special Election, can we realistically hope that the present Board will listen to the call by residents to halt the rapid increases in spending and our taxes that have been occurring the last few years and pass a level-funded budget for next year, or to not harness the taxpayers in town with the majority of the cost for a new police station? I am sure these issues are of concern to many in town. However, to make a change many people need to speak up.

Please reach out to a Select Board member and let them know you are concerned and want the Special Election issue addressed and finalized at their Nov. 25 meeting.

Robert E.W. Collins
Dalton, Mass.

 

 

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