Courtesy Photo/Athol Police Department: Duane Holden
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ATHOL — On Tuesday, July 12, after a night of heavy drinking Duane Holden came home to his South Street apartment where he awoke his wife by calling her a “cu$t.”
As his wife attempted to get some clothing and leave, the couple began pushing each other until Holden, 61, fell on top of his wife, pinning her to the floor.
According Holden’s wife’s Voluntary Statement submitted to the Athol Police Department, while her husband was on top of her, she kicked him away with her foot and managed to unlock the door for her neighbor who came over after hearing the couple arguing through the wall.
The neighbor pulled Holden’s wife through the doorway into her apartment as Holden grasped onto his wife’s hair.
Once the two were safely in the adjacent apartment, they called the police. This was at around 9:30 p.m.
Minutes later, Officers Corey Chauvette, Steve Adams and Paul Forand of the Athol Police Department were dispatched to Holden’s apartment located at 105 South Street.
Upon their arrival, Officer Chauvette remained outside the building to speak with the victim and the witness (neighbor), while Officer Adams and Forand went to speak with Holden in his apartment.
According to Officer Paul Forand’s Narrative for the incident, when Holden opened the door, he could smell alcohol emanating off Holden, who was wobbling back and forth and slurring his speech. Police say Holden’s initial agitation escalated to belligerence when he began yelling at the officers.
“Mr. Holden began yelling, swearing and stated ‘he was not going to f$ck*ng jail,” wrote Officer Chauvette in his Narrative. “It was obvious Mr. Holden was heavily intoxicated due to his unsteadiness and slurring of his speech.”
Officer Chauvette ran upstairs when he heard Holden yelling at the officers outside his door. Once he reached the apartment, he saw Officer Forand stick his foot in the doorway as Holden tried to slam the door in his face.
According to Officer Chauvette, when Officer Forand advised Holden that he was under arrest, Holden pulled away, and Officer Forand responded by “escorting” Holden to the ground in the kitchen.
“Once on the ground, Mr. Holden began punching, kicking, and grabbing at Officer Forand,” wrote Officer Chauvette in his Narrative. “Officer Forand, Officer Chauvette and Officer Adams all gave several commands for Mr. Holden to stop resisting arrest. It should be noted Mr. Holden’s demeanor was assaultive, threatening, [he was] being belligerent, spitting and foaming at the mouth while stating he was ‘not going to jail.’”
During the altercation, Officer Chauvette pulled out his taser.
According to Officer Forand’s Narrative, Officer Chauvette “gave multiple verbal commands that he would deploy his taser if Duane continued the assaultive behavior.”
“[I] was able to break free, create distance, and that was when Officer Chauvette announced ‘taser, taser, taser,’ then probed Duane,” wrote Officer Forand in his Narrative. “The effects of the taser immediately worked and Officer Forand was able to place Duane in Handcuffs.”
Once he was placed in handcuffs, officers checked Holden over for injuries and observed a small laceration on his lower lip, another laceration on the top of his head and puncture wounds from the taser.
EMTs and paramedics from the Athol Fire Department were on scene to take Holden to the hospital, which he also resisted.
“Due to Duane’s intoxicated state and his resistance, the decision was made to put Duane in the EMS stair chair to get him down the stairs,” wrote Officer Forand in his Narrative. “Duane resisted the entire time requiring officers and EMS personnel to physically pick Duane up and place him on the chair. Once Duane was brought downstairs and placed on the stretcher, Officer Forand removed the handcuffs from behind Duane’s back and placed one on each wrist and connected them to the stretcher. Officer Forand rode in the ambulance with Duane to the hospital. Duane was checked by hospital staff and discharged.”
While Officer Forand was at the hospital, Officer Adams got an emergency restraining order for Holden’s wife, which was issued by Judge Gerald Lemire at 10:52 p.m.
Holden was transported from the hospital back to the Athol Police Department where he was booked.
His bail was set at $2,540 cash.
Holden was charged with Assault & Battery on a Family/Household Member, Resisting Arrest, and Assault & Battery on a Police Officer (for hitting, grabbing and kicking Officer Forand while he was attempting to handcuff him).
Holden was arraigned on July 15 in Orange District Court, after which Judge Laurie MacLeod released him on his own personal recognizance under the condition that he remain alcohol free (with screens).
Holden is scheduled to appear in court again on Sept. 13 for a pretrial hearing.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from July, that’s because I had to file a FOIA request to get the Personnel Narratives for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
