Police car. Free public domain CC0 photo.
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FITCHBURG — On Friday, June 10, at approximately 1:47 p.m. Detective Sergeant Christopher Bellofatto heard a dispatch call for a report of a knife being pulled on someone in the area of 30 Prichard Street.
“I was just passing that location so I called out and met the [female] victim,” wrote Det. Sgt. Bellofatto in his Personnel Narrative for the incident.
The woman said that as she was standing outside with her baby, her neighbor, Jackie Hensley, 59, whom she had bad blood with, stopped her vehicle to threaten both her and her child.
“[The victim] stated that Jackie was mad,” said Det. Sgt. Bellofatto. Later adding, “[Jackie] pulled a knife out and held it in her right hand, pointed the blade towards [the woman] and said, ‘I got something for you.’ At that time, [the woman] was also holding her infant child and [the woman] stated that Jackie also mentioned her child.”
With the woman was a man who also witnessed the incident. They told Det. Sgt. Bellofatto that Hensley lived up the street at 107 Prichard Street.
Det. Sgt. Bellofatto went to the residence. Officer Julienne Salas was also dispatched to the residence for assistance.
After knocking on the door, the officers spoke with Jackie’s boyfriend who told them that Jackie wasn’t there because she was walking their dog. According to Det. Sgt. Bellofatto’s Personnel Narrative, Jackie’s boyfriend said he knew nothing of the incident and took Det. Sgt. Bellofatto’s business card. Det. Sgt. Bellofatto asked him if he would have Jackie call him “as soon as he sees her.”
Jackie’s boyfriend then called her to inform her of what just happened. Jackie – who was in the area of 30 Hartwell Street at the time – flagged down a parking control officer who called dispatch for her so she could speak with the police officers.
When the officers met with Jackie on Hartwell Street, Jackie said that she needed to have her medication adjusted and that she has had longstanding problems with her neighbor.
“I asked her what had happened today and she stated that as she was driving by, [the woman] was flipping her off as she ‘always’ does, according to Jackie,” wrote Det. Sgt. Bellofatto. “Jackie said she stopped and pulled the knife to get her to stop. I asked Jackie where the knife was now and she said she gave it to her boyfriend.”
Hensley then called her boyfriend who came to Hartwell Street to give the knife to police and take the dog. Det. Sgt. Bellofatto and Officer Salas initially decided to call an ambulance because “a decision had not been made yet as to the outcome of Jackie.”
However, the two officers ultimately decided to arrest her “due to all the information gathered and witness statements,” wrote Det. Sgt. Bellofatto in his Personnel Narrative.
Hensley was charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon-Knife and Threat to Commit a Crime.
After she was placed in handcuffs, Hensley’s boyfriend blockaded the door of the cruiser as the officers attempted to place Hensley in the back seat.
“Jackie’s boyfriend was refusing to leave the immediate area and said he had the right to be there,” wrote Det. Sgt. Bellofatto in his Personnel Narrative. “Since he was along the side of the marked cruiser and we needed to place Jackie in there, I told him he needed to back up passed the back of my cruiser to safely give us space. He initially refused and at one point put his hands behind his back as wanting me to put handcuffs on him. He ultimately did leave the area and told me that he would be in to press charges against me. I gave him my name, but he reminded me that I gave him my card so he already has it. Jackie was then transported to 20 Elm St. I secured the knife and will place it into evidence.”
Hensley plead not guilty when she was arraigned in Fitchburg District Court on June 10. Judge Christopher LoConto released her on personal recognizance under the condition that she stay away from the neighbor she pulled the knife on.
Hensley is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on July 19.
Bail was not included in the FOIA request.
