On Dec. 14, about 1 p.m, Officer Matthew Nelson was dispatched to Market Basket on Ft. Eddy Road to assist the Concord Fire Department with a Salvation Army bell ringer who appeared intoxicated and was acting strangely. When Nelson arrived, he saw a man, later identified as John Fitzpatrick, 46, of Concord walking away from the firefighters and heard him say, "Leave me alone."
Nelson followed Fitzpatrick through the parking lot and could smell an "obvious odor of alcohol" coming from Fitzpatrick, who appeared unsteady on his feet, Nelson wrote. Fitzpatrick also held a silver thermos in his hand, which he told Nelson contained whiskey.
Fitzpatrick began to cry and told Nelson "that he was having a bad day," the report said. Nelson wrote that he asked for Fitzpatrick's ID and observed a large amount of cash in his wallet. "I asked him if he'd been stealing money from the Salvation Army kettle, and he told me 'no,' that he had a job with the Salvation Army," Nelson wrote. "Also inside of the wallet were several photocopied pictures of Britney Spears. I asked him if he liked Britney Spears and he told me 'Yes, I am sort of her stalker.' "
When Officer Nelson told Fitzpatrick he would be arrested, Fitzpatrick began to struggle and pull away from the police, then he went limp and refused to stand, Nelson wrote. He struggled with the police when they tried to put him into the cruiser, and when inside, he put his foot in the door so that it wouldn't shut, Nelson wrote.
While in the parking lot, Nelson was approached by a man who said he was on the board of directors for the Salvation Army, and that he'd come to relieve Fitzpatrick. At 10:30 a.m., the man told Nelson, he arrived at Market Basket and felt the kettle, which felt hefty, the report said. "At the time of the arrest, when he got the kettle, he noticed that it was 'physically lighter,' then it was in the morning," Nelson wrote. "I told him about the large sum of money that was in Fitzpatrick's pocket and he said that . . . the ringers steal from them all the time," Nelson wrote.
Fitzpatrick was transported to the Merrimack County House of Corrections, where his wallet was searched. Nelson wrote that he found $217 in ones, fives, tens and twenties. While at the jail, Fitzpatrick was uncooperative and "needed to be physically restrained in a chair," Nelson wrote.
Fitzpatrick was charged with possession of alcohol, resisting arrest and theft and was held without bail.
On Dec. 11 about 1 a.m., Officer Nicole Murray was dispatched to Penuche's for a report of two intoxicated males who had been cut off at the bar and were refusing to leave the premises.
Upon arriving, Murray made contact with Christopher Knight, 23, of Boston, and an unidentified friend. Both the men, she wrote, smelled strongly of alcohol. Murray offered to call a cab for the men and Knight "became agitated and stated 'we're walking,' " the report said.
Knight asked Murray several times why they had to leave. She explained that they were not permitted to be there because the bartender had kicked them out. Knight became increasingly agitated, wrote Murray, who again told Knight to leave immediately or he would be arrested. "He continued to argue with me, stating, 'I don't see why.' "
Knight's friend began pushing Knight through Bicentennial Square, "all the while telling him to leave so that no one would get in trouble," Murray wrote. Knight, however, continued to argue that they should not be made to leave the bar.
"Knight became increasingly louder and was shouting that he should not have to leave," and walked up to Officer Scott, who accompanied Murray, and got within a few inches of his face. He was warned again to leave immediately or be arrested, but he continued to yell, the report said. (next page »)
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