TEMPLETON — On Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, at approximately 9:34 p.m., Templeton Police Officer Daniel Donahue said a 54-year-old woman came into the Templeton Police Department to report an issue involving her boyfriend, William Covey, that occurred at her residence.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Daniel Donahue for the incident and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
Officer Donahue asked the reporting party to tell him what happened. She said she had been drinking with Covey at her residence that day when they got into an argument.
According to police, William J. Covey, 56, is a resident of Winchendon, MA.
“[The reporting party] stated that she then told William that she wanted him to pack his belongings and leave,” Officer Donahue said. “She said that William then began calling her names and when she put some of his belongings outside, he locked her out of the house.”
The reporting party said she was able to get back into her residence using a spare key.
“She stated that once back inside the residence, William continued calling her names and threw her phone from the island in the kitchen onto the floor, causing it to break,” Officer Donahue said. “She told me that she believes her phone was still on the kitchen floor, under the dog dish.”
The reporting party said Covey then opened the freezer in the kitchen, removed multiple packages of deer meat and began throwing them at her.
“I asked her if any of the packages hit her,” Officer Donahue said. “She stated, yes, and that they hit her on her left shoulder, right shoulder, and her back. [The reporting party] said that she then went back outside, and William then locked her out of her residence again. She stated that she then walked to the Candlelite Cafe and asked the owner, Tim, to drive her to the Templeton Police Department. [The reporting party] told me that she just wanted us to go to the residence with her so she could get back in, and she wanted William removed from the residence.”
Officer Donahue asked the woman if Covey lived at the residence with her.
“She said yes, but it was her house not his,” Officer Donahue said. “I asked her how long William had been living at the residence with her, she stated since about October or November. I asked [her] if William was physically violent with her in any other way, (pushed her, hit her, or kicked her). She stated no, and that he just threw the frozen packages of deer meat at her.”
Officer Donahue asked the reporting party if she was physically violent with Covey at all, and she said no.
“I asked [the reporting party] how long the two had been dating, she stated about six months,” Officer Donahue said. “I asked [her] if she wanted to pursue charges against William, she stated no, and that she just wanted him removed from the house. I explained to [the reporting party] that based on what she told me, we would be arresting William on domestic assault and battery charges. She stated that she understood.”
Officer Donahue then asked the reporting party if she would provide a voluntary written statement about what had transpired between her and Covey that evening and she eventually provided one.
“I askęd [her] if she wanted to obtain an emergency restraining order against William, she stated no,” Officer Donahue said. “I then had her sign a 209A [abuse prevention order] rights form and provided her with a copy of the form. [The reporting party] stated that William was heavily intoxicated and he drinks significantly every day. She stated that he may have gotten a heads-up from his friend that she went to the police department to report the incident and may have left the residence.”
The reporting party told Officer Donahue that Covey would be driving a gray Dodge pickup truck registered to her, with “COVEY” written on the side in large green letters.
Officer Donahue, Officer Erin Smith of the Templeton Police Department, Officer Dan Caputi of the Phillipston Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police troopers from the Athol barracks then went to the Patriots Road residence to attempt to take Covey into custody.
“Officer Smith transported [the reporting party] to the residence in her cruiser,” Officer Donahue said. “When we arrived on scene, William’s truck was not at the residence. We then went inside the residence, with [the reporting party’s] permission, to verify William was no longer there. The door of the residence was unlocked. We then checked every room in the residence and confirmed William was no longer inside.”
Officer Donahue then asked the reporting party where Covey would go.
“She stated that he would probably be at the Candlelite Cafe, or the Thirsty Turtle Pub,” Officer Donahue said. “[The reporting party] informed me that William’s Massachusetts license was currently suspended.”
Officer Donahue said he then located the reporting party’s cellphone on the floor in the kitchen, under the dog bowls.
“I observed the screen to be cracked and had her try to turn it on,” Officer Donahue said. “[The reporting party] then attempted to turn on her cellphone. The cellphone would turn on, but she was unable to use it or do anything with it. I then photographed the cellphone. I also photographed a package of frozen deer meat that I located outside the door of the residence, at the top of the stairs.”
All of the officers then left the residence to see if Covey’s vehicle was at the Candlelite Cafe, which was down the street.
“I then located William’s vehicle, Massachusetts registration [# redacted] parked, running, in the back parking lot of the business,” Officer Donahue said. “I then advised dispatch that I located the vehicle, and that William appeared to be asleep inside. I then exited my cruiser and approached the driver’s side of the vehicle. I opened the unlocked driver’s door and attempted to wake William up, who was sleeping in the driver’s seat. William then woke up and I advised him that my body worn camera, (BWC), was on and that everything was being audio and video recorded.”
Officer Donahue asked Covey what happened that evening between him and the reporting party.
“He stated that they got into an argument and asked if she called the police on him,” Officer Donahue said. When Officer Donahue asked Covey if the argument got physical at all, he said no.
“I asked him if he wanted to tell me his side of the story,” Officer Donahue said. “William just sat there and stated no. While speaking with William, I could smell a very strong odor of intoxicating liquor coming from his breath. I observed him to have glassy, bloodshot eyes, and to be slurring his speech. I asked him again if he wanted to tell me his side of the story. He stated no. I then had William step out of his vehicle and advised him that he was under arrest for domestic assault and battery.”
Officer Donahue then pat frisked Covey for weapons and handcuffed him behind his back.
“I then advised William of his Miranda rights, which he stated that he understood. William was then transported to the Templeton Police Department by Massachusetts State Trooper Kaleshia Jackson,” Officer Donahue said. “Once at the Templeton Police Department, I advised William that everything in the booking room was audio and video recorded. He stated that he understood. I then again advised William of his Miranda rights by reading them to him from a card. William then signed the card.”
Officer Donahue told Covey that he was being charged with assault and battery on a family/household member and destruction of private property because he threw and broke the reporting party’s cell phone.
“William then told me that [the reporting party] was the one who hit him during the argument,” Officer Donahue said. “I asked him what happened. William then told me that the two went out drinking at the Candlelite Cafe and when they got home, [the reporting party] had several more shots and they started arguing. He stated that he called her the ‘C’ word and she hit him in the face. I asked William if he threw frozen packages of deer meat at her. He stated no, and that he would never hit her. I then took a photograph of William’s face. William was then booked, photographed, and fingerprinted by Officer Smith and Officer Caleb Matson, of the Templeton Police Department.”
Officer Donahue then contacted Bail Commissioner Marianne Kissane-Fichter, advised her of the arrest and charges, and she set Covey’s bail at $100.
“I then advised William what his bail was set at, and due to the mandatory six-hour hold, he would be eligible to be bailed at 4:32 a.m. He stated that he understood,” Officer Donahue said.
William J. Covey, 56, of Winchendon, was charged with the following:
- Assault & Battery on Family/Household Member
- Malicious Destruction of Property ~$1,200
During his arraignment in Gardner District Court on Feb. 27, 2026, Covey pleaded not guilty and was then released on personal recognizance. His next court date is a pretrial hearing scheduled for April 1, 2026.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in February, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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