SOMERVILLE — On Friday, Jan.16, 2026, at approximately 9:20 a.m., Somerville Police Officer Walter Collette was conducting traffic enforcement at the intersection of Broadway and School Street when he observed a black Honda Civic with New Hampshire plates make an illegal U-turn in violation of a posted sign at the intersection.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from a summary of the incident written by Officer Walter Collette in the Somerville Police Department’s weekly arrest log and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“I then activated my lights and siren and pulled the motor vehicle over in the Walgreens parking lot,” Officer Collette said.
Officer Collette reported that he spoke with the driver—later identified as Paul Fidler—about the civil infraction that prompted the stop and requested his driver’s license and the vehicle’s registration.
According to police, Paul J. Fidler, 60, is a resident of Somerville, MA.
“Fidler informed me that he has a ‘suspended license but needed to pick up medicine from Walgreens,'” Officer Collette said. “A RMV check of Mr. Fidler’s license confirmed that his status was in fact revoked and the letter ‘T’ restriction on his license requires him to use the ignition interlock device prior to him operating any vehicle.”
An ignition interlock device, also known as a car breathalyzer, is a device installed in a vehicle that requires a driver to provide a breath sample within the legal breath alcohol concentration limits before the engine will start.
Officer Collette reported that when he looked inside Fidler’s vehicle, he did not observe an ignition interlock device installed.
With the assistance of Officer Richard Lavey III, Officer Collette told Fidler to step out of the vehicle and informed him that he was under arrest.
Paul J. Fidler, 60, of Somerville, was charged with the following:
- Operating a Motor Vehicle after Suspension/Revocation, Subsequent Offense
- Operating a Motor Vehicle without an Ignition Interlock Device
- Disregarding a Traffic Control Sign, No U-Turn
According to Officer Collette, Fidler’s vehicle was towed by Stephen’s Tow, and he was transported to the Somerville Police Department by Officer Brian Clancy and booked by Lieutenant Kevin Shackelford.
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