CHARLTON — On Monday, February 3, 2025, at 2:41 p.m., Officer Leonard Beane of the Charlton Police Department was dispatched to the intersection of T Hall and Carpenter Hill Road following a report of a man passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Beane and does not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“Reporting party stated the male subject is breathing but not responsive,” Officer Beane said.
When he arrived on scene, Officer Beane observed a Honda Pilot with Massachusetts plates stopped in the travel lane of Carpenter Hill Road.
“Officer Ray Sherbourne was already on scene talking with the reporting party,” Officer Beane said. “I exited my vehicle and Officer Sherbourne and I walked to this red Honda to make contact with the operator. Once at this vehicle, I observed this vehicle to be running and in drive. The operator was breathing but not responsive. The driver’s side window was practically rolled down. Fearing for the operator and public’s safety, I reached my arm through the window and opened the door. Once inside, I was able to reach over the operator and place the vehicle in park. I began to shake the operator to wake him. He was identified as Larry Cortis.”
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According to police, Larry P. Cortis, 50, is a resident of Charlton Street in Southbridge, MA.
“Cortis seemed confused and was unaware of what was going on,” Officer Beane said. “Cortis told me he was on his way home from a doctor’s appointment in Worcester when he fell asleep. Charlton EMS was on scene and they began to check his wellbeing. I asked Cortis if he had his driver’s license on him. Cortis provided it to me, but said it was suspended. Cortis’ information was called into dispatched and they confirmed this suspension. Cortis was told to step out of the vehicle and place his hands on the roof. While searching Cortis, a cut-corner baggie was located in the front pocket of his sweatshirt containing an off-white/pink substance. Based on my training and experience, I suspected this substance to be fentanyl. Cortis was told he was under arrest and to place his hands behind his back and secured in handcuffs. Cortis confirmed the substance in the bag was fentanyl. Cortis was secured in the rear of Officer Sherbourne’s police cruiser.”
After Cortis was placed in the back of Officer Sherbourne’s cruiser, Officers Sherbourne and Beane conducted a search of his vehicle.
“Located in the center between the two front seats was a cigarette box,” Officer Bourne said. “I opened the box and located a small amount of suspected fentanyl in a cut-corner bag. No other drugs were located. Arine’s Towing arrived on scene and the vehicle was towed without incident.”
Cortis was then transported to the Charlton Police Department for booking.
“Once at the station, Cortis was booked according to department policy and procedure by Sergrant Brain Cardrant,” Officer Beane said. “He was offered all of his applicable rights including the rights to a telephone call. Cortis was searched again, photographed, and secured in a holding cell to await bail or transportation to court. Bail was contacted and set at personal recognizance. A certified request was sent to MASS DOT in regards to Cortis’ license status. He was issued Massachusetts Uniform Citation #[redaxted] in hand. Suspected fentanyl was secured in a drug locker D2.”
Cortis was charged with the following:
- Possess Class A – (Fentanyl, 3.1 Grams)
- Negligent Operation Motor Vehicle
- Operation Motor Vehicle with a Suspended License
Cortis was arraigned in Dudley District Court on February 4, 2025. On March 26, he attended a pretrial hearing.
His next court date is a clerk magistrate hearing (i.e. DCE hearing), scheduled for May 13, 2025.
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.
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