LEOMINSTER — On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at approximately 9:47 a.m., Officer Avery Benvissuto of the Leominster Police Department was dispatched to The Mall at Whitney Field located at 100 Commercial Road following a report of a verbal altercation and an alleged attempt by one party to strike the other with a vehicle.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Avery Benvissuto and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“Upon my arrival, I spoke with the reporting party, Ronald [last name redacted],” Officer Benvissuto said. “Ronald stated that he was off-loading a ladder from his work van to conduct work on the old Sears building. While doing so, he heard an occupant of a vehicle approaching from the rear yell, ‘Trump f*ck*ng sucks, you are a f*ck*ng a$$hole!’ Likely referring to the ‘TRUMP’ flag draped over the back doors of the work van. [Ronald] stated that he then stepped out from behind his vehicle and yelled, ‘F*ck you!’ to the vehicle as it continued [driving].”
Since our launch in February 2022, News Link Live has reached over 2.2 million viewers in Massachusetts and beyond. Interested in a targeted advertising campaign? Contact us at newslinklivealerts@gmail.com or book a consultation call with us through the button below to explore your options today!
Officer Benvissuto stated that Ronald reported the vehicle made a U-turn and then accelerated directly toward him at an estimated speed of 25 miles per hour.
“[Ronald] stated that he jumped out of the way, behind his work van, to avoid being hit,” Officer Benvissuto said. “[Ronald] said, ‘If I hadn’t moved, I would’ve been on the hood.’”
Officer Benvissuto recounted that, prior to his arrival, Ronald got into his work van and followed the vehicle toward Mechanic Street, where he was able to obtain the license plate number.
“After acquiring the license plate, he returned to Sears and contacted emergency services,” Officer Benvissuto said.
Officer Benvissuto stated that an unknown witness had been inquiring about a job opportunity when the incident occurred. He was unable to speak with the witness, but noted that The Mall at Whitney Field’s security manager, Caitlin Evans, had spoken with the individual prior to his arrival.
“Ms. Evans told me that the witness stated: the occupant of the vehicle had yelled at [Ronald] as it passed by, conducted a U-turn, and accelerated at [Ronald] at a high rate of speed,” Officer Benvissuto said. “Ms. Evans was unable to identify the witness prior to his departure from the scene.”
Officer Benvissuto ran an RMV [Registry of Motor Vehicles] inquiry of the license plate obtained by Ronald and found out that it was a gray Kia Forte registered to John Forestell, of Leominster.
According to police, John L. Forestell, 73, is a resident of 16 Brooks Pond Road, Apt. [# redacted] in Leominster, MA.
“[Ronald] had confirmed in my conversation with him that the vehicle was a gray Kia,” Officer Benvissuto said. “I cleared from the Mall at Whitney Field to link-up with other officers at 16 Brooks Pond Road to speak with Mr. Forestell.”
When he arrived on scene, Officer Benvissuto, along with other responding officers, located the Kia Forte parked outside of 16 Brooks Pond Road.
“We then entered the building and were able to contact to Mr. Forestell in his apartment,” Officer Benvissuto said. “I informed Mr. Forestell that we were here to gather his side of the story regarding an event that had transpired at The Mall at Whitney Field. Mr. Forestell stated he was driving by a van that had a ‘TRUMP’ flag on it and shouted to the individual nearby that, ‘Trump S*cks!’”
When Officer Benvissuto asked Forestell what happened next, he said that he “went straight home.”
“Based on the facts presented, I informed Mr. Forestell that he was under arrest for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (weapon being his motor vehicle),” Officer Benvissuto said. “Mr. Forestell was handcuffed…and escorted to my cruiser. While placing Mr. Forestell in the cruiser, he stated, ‘I hope these break my wrists so I can sue you,’ referring to the handcuffs. Mr. Forestell was transported to the Leominster Police Department to conduct the booking process.”
Forestell was charged with the following:
- Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
- Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Forestell was arraigned in Leominster District Court on May 27, 2025. Following his arraignment, he was released on personal recognizance under the condition that he stay away from and not contact the victim.
Forestell’s next court date is a pretrial hearing scheduled for July 2, 2025.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in May, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
To learn more about News Link Live’s unique business model, please read the following:
An online business model that could replace local newspapers
Why The Leominster Champion Failed
The Medium is the Message by Marshall McCLuhan
The Ego and the ID by Sigmund Freud
