ORANGE — On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at approximately 10:25 p.m., Officer Evangeline Cakounes of the Orange Police Department was on patrol when she heard a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) alert issued by Orange Police Lieutenant Adam Cooley, who was also working the same shift, for a vehicle with Massachusetts plates that had failed to stop and was speeding “at an extremely high rate.”
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Evangeline Cakounes and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“The vehicle got on the highway heading towards the town of Erving,” Officer Cakounes said. “At this time, I was in the area of East River Street, which is a public way in town. I decided to continue through West River Street and make my way towards that side of town in case the vehicle got off the highway.”
Officer Cakounes said that when she reached the area of Highland Street and West River Street, she saw the vehicle in question heading toward her.
“I was able to confirm it was the same vehicle due to the front registration plate. Before the vehicle was able to fully pass me, I activated my blue lights and began to turn around,” Officer Cakounes said. “I saw that the vehicle was travelling at a high rate of speed (well over 50 miles an hour). The posted speed on this road is 25 miles an hour.”
Officer Cakounes said that after turning her cruiser around, she headed toward the center of town and eventually caught up with the suspect’s vehicle.
“I went over the radio and advised Lieutenant Cooley and Detective [Travis] Rushford that I was behind the vehicle,” Officer Cakounes said. “As soon as I began to speed up, the vehicle began to drive faster, and in my estimation, was doing well over 50 miles an hour on the straight away.”
Officer Cakounes said the vehicle then went through the red light without activating its brake lights or slowing down.
“After crossing through the red light, the vehicle slowed down extremely fast and turned into the town parking lot for the boat ramp,” Officer Cakounes said. “This parking lot is currently maintained by the business of Billy Goat Boats. The vehicle came to a stop but the operator was wearing a hood with the window rolled up.”
Officer Cakounes and Detective Rushford both parked in the lot and then exited their cruisers.
“While Detective Rushford was giving verbal commands for the operator to exit the vehicle, I was standing with my firearm out of the holster and at a low ready,” Officer Cakounes said. “Detective Rushford told the operator multiple times to get out of the vehicle and I stated the command once. The operator at one point put his hands up and then back down. He then rolled the window down and asked what to do. Detective Rushford then came over to me and we both realized that the operator of the vehicle was a Kevin McGann who we are both very familiar with.”
According to police, Kevin R. McGann, 29, is a resident of Orange, MA.
“Detective Rushford then went up to the vehicle and opened the door and ordered McGann out of the vehicle,” Officer Cakounes said. “As soon of Detective Rushford opened the vehicle, I could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from inside. McGann did not get out of the vehicle and so Detective Rushford assisted him in doing so. I could tell that McGann was extremely unsteady on his feet and was using Detective Rushford to balance. Myself and Detective Rushford both pressed McGann on the vehicle and ordered him to put his hands behind his back. McGann became tense at one point, he also would not put his hands behind his back and we both had to grab one hand and do so ourselves.”
McGann was then placed in handcuffs which were double locked and checked for tightness, according to police.
Officer Cakounes said she noticed a metal splint on McGann’s left middle finger during the arrest.
“McGann went on to explain that this injury took place during a basketball game and no further damage was caused the night of the arrest,” Officer Cakounes said.
Orange Fire EMS arrived on scene and evaluated McGann who signed a medical treatment refusal form.
“On scene of the arrest Detective Rushford asked whose car McGann was driving,” Officer Cakounes added. “McGann responded with ‘I stole it.’”
At this time, Officer Cakounes and Detective Rushford stopped asking McGann questions and Officer Cakounes said she read McGann his Miranda rights from a card she carries on her person.
“McGann stated he understood and still wanted to talk,” Officer Cakounes said. “McGann was unable to stand still. I could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath and he had glassy, bloodshot eyes.”
Officer Cakounes then asked McGann if he wanted to take a field sobriety test and he responded stating, “I am drunk, just take me.”
“McGann then joked about how funny it would be if he did try and do field sobriety, and we reminded him this situation was not a joke,” Officer Cakounes said. “McGann was then placed in the back of my cruiser and was transported to the Orange Police Department for booking.”
At the station, McGann agreed to take a breathalyzer and blew a 0.23 percent BAC (Blood Alcohol Content).
“McGann was not finger printed due to the past injury to his hand and the fact that we have multiple finger print records from him from past arrests,” Officer Cakounes said. “His license was seized; however, it should be noted that McGann was operating with a suspended license.”
Officer Cakounes said she asked McGann why he stole the vehicle, and he explained that he met the owner, Jake [last name redacted], while he was in Greenfield.
“Jake offered to give McGann a ride to get some food. At some point, Jake then requested that McGann give him a ‘blow job,’” Officer Cakounes said. “McGann got upset about this and when they were in the parking lot of CVS and Jake went inside, McGann jumped into the driver’s seat and stole the vehicle.”
Officer Cakounes asked McGann how much alcohol he had to drink that day.
“McGann explained that around 10:00 a.m. he went to Big Y in Greenfield and stole two (2 liter) bottles of Vodka,” Officer Cakounes said.
Between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. McGann said he drank both bottle of Vodka because he “is an alcoholic and can do that.”
“This admission was made prior to McGann doing the breath test,” Officer Cakounes said. “McGann also made comments that he wanted to come to Orange tonight to get arrested because ‘we always treat him right and help him as an agency.’”
Bail commissioner David Weiss set McGann’s bail at $10,000.
“McGann was unable to meet the bail and was subsequently transported to the Franklin County House of Correction,” Officer Cakounes said. She added that McGann was also issued three Massachusetts Criminal Citations.
Kevin R. McGann was arrested and charged with the following:
- Operating Motor Vehicle with License Suspended
- OUI – Liquor, 2nd offense
- Negligent Operation of Motor Vehicle
- Fail to Stop/Yield (three counts)
- Speeding
- Fail to Stop for Police
- Possess Open Container of Alcohol in Motor Vehicle (2 liters of Vodka)
- Possess Class E Drug (Clonazepam, 3 pills)
- Resist Arrest
- Receiving Stolen Property +$1,200
McGann’s arraignment was scheduled for Oct. 15, 2025 in Orange District Court.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in October, 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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