ATHOL — On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at around 9:59 a.m., Athol Police Officer Craig Deveneau requested Officer Erick Fredette’s assistance with a well-being check on two individuals in a car at the Athol Area YMCA parking lot, who may be using drugs. Officer Deveneau was initially flagged down by a bystander concerned for the wellbeing of the individuals in the car.
(The account and quotations in this article were taken from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Fredette.)
When Officer Fredette arrived on scene, he saw a white Chevy sedan which he recognized as being driven by Brian Vieu, a person known to police for being a “94c [drug] user.”
According to police, Brian Vieu, 41, is a resident of Main Street in Athol.
Officer Fredette walked up to the passenger side of the vehicle while Officer Deveneau was speaking with Vieu. In the passenger seat of the vehicle, Officer Fredette saw a woman leaning over the dashboard swinging back and forth.
Officer Deveneau told Officer Fredette that there was a burnt pipe and part of a Brillo pad (consistent with smoking crack cocaine) in the driver’s side door. Officer Deveneau then asked Vieu to step out of the vehicle.
“Officer Deveneau advised Mr. Vieu of the reasoning for having him exit the vehicle, Vieu stated he understood and that there was nothing in the vehicle except the burnt Brillo and the pipe,” Officer Fredette said.
Officer Fredette then asked the female passenger – later identified as Kristina Morin – to step out of the vehicle; she complied.
Kristina Morin, 37, is a resident of North Street in Erving.
When Morin opened the door, Officer Fredette observed another burnt pipe on the floor of the passenger side of the vehicle where Morin had been sitting.
Officer Fredette said Morin admitted the pipe was hers as soon as he took it out of the vehicle.
While searching the vehicle, Officer Deveneau located a small plastic wrapper with a hard white substance inside it, which appeared to be crack cocaine. The plastic wrapper was in the center console of the vehicle on the passenger side.
Officer Fredette removed the bag from the vehicle and gave Vieu and Morin their Miranda Warnings.
“Both stated they understood and Ms. Morin admitted it was crack and belonged to her,” Officer Fredette said.
Officer Fredette then advised Morin that she was being taken into custody. She was handcuffed and transported to the Athol Police Station for booking without incident.
Morin was charged with Possession of a Class B Drug (crack cocaine) and Drug Violation near School/Park (because Morin was in the parking lot of the YMCA which has a daycare for children).
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from February, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
