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ASHBURNHAM —On Friday, June 24, at 12:07 p.m., Officer Quinn Smith of the Ashburnham Police Department was observing traffic on Rindge State Road when he saw a gray Nissan Rouge drive by. On a hunch, he checked the vehicle’s registration.
“I queried the registration on my MDT (Mounted Patrol Unit) and it showed the owner to have no license status,” wrote Officer Smith in his Narrative for the incident. “I then turned on my emergency blue lights in an attempt to conduct a motor vehicle stop.”
With his lights and sirens on, Officer Smith approached the car, which was owned by Louis Sciabarrasi, a 48-year-old resident of Leicester.
According to Officer Smith, instead of pulling over, Sciabarrasi continued toward Ashby.
“As we approached the Ashby town line, I observed [Sciabarrasi] start to pull to the right and continue on,” wrote Officer Smith in his Narrative. “[Sciabarrasi] then started to pull behind a vehicle that pulled over for my emergency lights and siren. [Sciabarrasi’s] vehicle then continued passed that vehicle into Ashby.”
Sciabarrasi then took a right onto Wellington Road, which happens to be a dead end. According to Officer Smith’s narrative, he made a complete stop part-way down the road, then stuck his hand out the window to gesture that he was going to continue on.
Following the hand gesture, Officer Smith called for backup.
Sciabarrsi then stopped at a residence at the end of the roadway and got out of his car.
“He exited the vehicle and I advised him to show me his hands which he complied. I then approached him and placed him in handcuffs advising him that he was not under arrest at this time, but was being detained for my safety and his until we could figure out why he did not stop his vehicle for the police,” wrote Officer Smith in his Narrative. “I asked Sciabarrasi why he did not pull over to the right for my blue lights, and he stated that he thought that I was pulling someone else over. Sciabarrasi soon after this admitted that he saw my lights and should have pulled to the right but continued to his uncle’s house.”
At this time, Officers Les Holgerson and Lieutenant Chris Conrad arrived on the scene.
Officer Holgerson asked dispatch to contact Arizona State Police because Sciabarrasi had an Arizona license. According to Officer Smith, Arizona State Police said that he didn’t have an official Arizona driver’s license.
Sciabarrasi was then arrested for Failure to Stop for Police and placed into the rear of patrol car #2.
Officer Smith and Lt. Conrad then inventoried his vehicle.
“Lt. Conrad and I searched the vehicle and found a lot of miscellaneous clothing all over the vehicle,” wrote Officer Smith in his Narrative. “Sciabarrasi had multiple glassine baggies containing marijuana and some glass containers also containing marijuana. Sciabarrasi was transported and booked without incident.”
Sciabarrasi was formally charged with Failure to Stop for Police, Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, and Open Container of Marijuana in Vehicle.
He was arraigned later that day in Winchendon District Court.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from June, that’s because I had to file a FOIA request to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
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