ATHOL — On Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, at approximately 8:35 p.m., Officer Zachary Duguay of the Athol Police Department was sitting in his cruiser in the parking lot of the Athol Post Office when he observed a Honda Civic with its front right headlight out on Freedom Street heading toward Main Street.
(The account and quotations in this article were taken from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Duguay.)
The vehicle pulled into a gas pump at the Cumberland Farms on 297 Main Street.
Officer Duguay said the driver – later identified as Steven Leahey – exited the vehicle and took several glances at his cruiser that was parked across the street.
Steven N. Leahey, 38, is a resident of 54 Bridle Cross Road in Fitchburg.
“Mr. Leheay stood near the pumps for approximately 2-3 minutes before going inside to pay for gas,” Officer Duguay said.
When he returned to his vehicle, Officer Duguay said he watched Leahey pump gas, get back into his car, move items around underneath the driver’s seat, move other items around in his trunk, and then clean the windows of his car with a squeegee. Leahey then got into the driver’s seat, backed up, and then pulled back into the pump station, Officer Duguay said.
“Mr. Leahey, again, backed out of the pump station and then pulled back into a parking spot near the main entrance of Cumberland Farms,” Officer Duguay recounted. “Mr. Leahey remained in this parking spot for approximately one minute before backing out and exiting the Cumberland Farms parking lot and heading east on Main Street.”
Officer Duguay pulled out onto Main Street and attempted to catch up to Leahey so he could conduct a traffic stop. At about 8:45 p.m., Officer Duguay pulled Leahey over on Exchange Street.
Officer Duguay instructed Leahey to move further down Exchange Street to a more secure location and then called in the vehicle’s registration to dispatch. Leahey complied and drove into a nearby parking spot.
Dispatch called Officer Duguay to inform him that the vehicle was wanted out of Leominster on a BOLO (be on the lookout) which read:
“Please BOLO for MA PC[# redacted] operated by Stephen Norman Leahey. Party was involved in a domestic assault in our city and is PC to arrest for A&B on a person 60+ and two counts of vandalism. Officer safety is advised, please use caution he is armed & dangerous, and is hostile towards police. If located please stop, hold, and contact Leominster PD (978-534-7560).”
At approximately 8:48 p.m., Officer Elizabeth Unaitis, Officer Courtney Call, and Detective Corey Chauvette arrived on scene to assist. Officer Duguay approached the operator of the vehicle and asked for his license and registration. Leahey’s 40-year-old girlfriend from Gardner was in the vehicle as well.
Leahey handed Officer Daguay his driver’s license.
“Leahey’s hands were shaking and he appeared visibly nervous,” Officer Duguay said. “Due to the BOLO from Leominster, Detective Chauvette [and I] told Mr. Leahey to step outside of the vehicle. Mr. Leahey began to reach around inside of the vehicle, to which Detective Chauvette [and I] opened the driver’s side door and escorted Mr. Leahey out of the vehicle. Mr. Leahey was not resistant during this process.”
Officer Duguay placed Leahey into handcuffs. Officer Unaitis asked Leahey’s girlfriend to exit the vehicle, detained her, and handcuffed her.
Leahey was advised of his Miranda Rights.
Dispatch advised Officer Duguay that they had contacted the Leominster Police Department and informed them of the traffic stop. Leominster PD told Athol police they didn’t need to arrest Leahey on scene because they were waiting on a warrant application to process on the charges from their town.
Officer Duguay, aware of Leahey’s status as potentially armed and dangerous, conducted a search of him. Upon being questioned by Officer Duguay if he had any weapons on him, Leahey said he didn’t have any on him.
While conducting a search of Leahey, Officer Duguay felt an “item of concern” in the right-side pocket of Leahey’s pants. Officer Duguay asked Leahey what the item was and he said it was a can of mace that belonged to his girlfriend. Officer Duguay checked Leahey’s pocket and did indeed find a can of mace.
While Officer Duguay conducted a search of Leahey’s person, Officer Call asked Leahey if he had any other weapons. Leahey said he had a BB gun inside a black backpack in the backseat of his car.
Leahey gave verbal consent for officers to inspect the interior of the vehicle, where Detective Chauvette found the BB gun inside a backpack in the backseat. During the search for the backpack, Detective Chauvette discovered a spring-assisted knife positioned between the shifter and the center console, in plain view, as reported by Officer Duguay.
“Mr. Leahey stated that he did not know it was spring assisted and that the knife belonged to him,” Officer Duguay said.
Officer Duguay informed Leahey about the behavior he had observed from Leavey at the Cumberland Farms gas station.
Officer Duguay then asked Leahey if there was “anything of concern” in the trunk of the vehicle. Police didn’t locate anything in the trunk.
Howevevr, Detective Chauvette located a flashlight-shaped taser in the driver’s side door of the vehicle. Leahey stated that he believed it was a flashlight and it was given to him by an unknown man in the K-Mart parking lot in Leominster.
Leahey told police he didn’t know it was a taser. Detective Chauvette then escorted Leahey to the rear of a cruiser and placed him in the backseat.
Officer Duguay then told Leahey’s girlfriend that she was not under arrest. The officer uncuffed her and told her she was free to leave.
“[Leahey’s girlfriend] stated that she was going to sleep in the vehicle for the night, to which Mr. Leahey stated he would allow,” Officer Duguay said.
At about 9:22 p.m., Officer Duguay told Leahey he was under arrest for possession of a dangerous weapon for the spring assisted knife and possession of an electric stun gun. Officer Duguay transported Leahey to the Athol Police Department where he was booked without issue.
After he was booked, Leahey was placed into a holding cell.
Leahey’s bail was set at $2,500, plus a $40 administrative fee.
At about 10 p.m., Leahey made a phone call to make bail arrangements, but was unable to come up with the money for the bail fee, so he was transported to the Franklin County House of Corrections.
Leahey was formally charged with Electric Stun Gun, Sell/Possess, and Dangerous Weapon, Carry (for the spring assisted knife).
Leahey was held in the Franklin County House of Corrections from Dec. 6, 2023, until his arraignment in Orange District Court on Dec. 8, 2023. A bail hearing was held the same day Leahey was arraigned. During the bail hearing, Judge MacLeod decreased his bail to $500 cash.
Leahey is scheduled to appear in court again on February 12, 2024, for a pretrial hearing.
