PEPPERELL — On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at approximately 8:20 a.m., Officer Daniel Adams and Lieutenant Jeremiah Friend of the Pepperell Police Department responded to a residence on Crescent Street following a report of a physical domestic incident in progress.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Statement of Facts of Officer Daniel Adams for the incident and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“The reporting party, Kathleen [last name redacted] explained to dispatch that she was just pushed down in her own home and subsequently ended the phone call,” Officer Adams said. “Lieutenant Friend and I subsequently responded and met with multiple people in the residence who appeared extremely upset and were sitting in the living room. I met with the first party who was involved, Leah Gerken.”
According to police, Leah Gerken, 33, is a resident of Crescent Street in Pepperell, MA.
“Leah was extremely upset and visibly mad at the situation,” Officer Adams said. “I asked Leah what happened while Lieutenant Friend went to speak with Kathleen who was now upstairs.”
Officer Adams said Gerken told him she had not slept in days due to sleep apnea and was trying to sleep in her bedroom, which is located just off the kitchen.
“Leah stated that she got woken up by Kathleen who was in the kitchen complaining about potatoes while she was cooking,” Officer Adams said. “Furthermore, Leah stated that Kathleen stated something along the lines of ‘I don’t care about anyone in this house.'”
Gerken stated that after hearing the comment, she got up and confronted her roommate about the statement, at which point Kathleen got in her face. Gerken stated that Kathleen got in her face and the two began yelling at each other, at which point Gerken grabbed Kathleen and pushed her.
“I asked Leah if Kathleen fell to the ground during this incident, and she said something along the lines of ‘You’re God damn right she did,'” Officer Adams said. “After speaking with Leah, I went up to Lieutenant Friend while he was speaking with Kathleen. I asked Kathleen what had happened prior to our arrival.”
Kathleen told Officer Adams that she was downstairs making a pot roast when an argument broke out between her and Gerken. She said Leah grabbed onto her and threw her to the ground with force, which not only caused her physical pain, but left her feeling nervous because of a prior neck surgery.
“Kathleen was asked if she needed medical attention, which she declined, and was further asked if she wanted to seek an order [i.e., abuse prevention order] against Leah,” Officer Adams said. “Kathleen declined an order through Ayer District Court.”
At around this time, Officer Adams said that he and Lieutenant Friend formed the opinion that Gerken was the “dominant aggressor throughout the incident.”
“Leah was subsequently placed in to custody by me where she was handcuffed behind her back (DL) [double locked],” Officer Adams said. “While placing her in handcuffs, Leah smashed her head against an interior wall. Lieutenant Friend and I escorted her away from the wall, so she would not cause any further damage.”
Officer Adams said Pepperell EMS was called to the scene to evaluate Gerken who declined medical attention and signed a refusal form.
“Leah was brought back to the Pepperell police station for booking by Lieutenant Friend and was booked in the usual manner,” Officer Adams said. “While in booking, Leah explained to Lieutenant Friend that she is bipolar and has severe anxiety and is currently off her medication to assist in both.”
Gerken was subsequently transported to Ayer District Court for arraignment and was recommended for mental health services through Ayer District Court.
Leah Gerken, 33, of Pepperell, was charged with the following:
- Assault & Battery
Gerken was arraigned in Ayer District Court on Jan. 20, 2026. Following her arraignment, she was released on personal recognizance under the condition that she not abuse and engage in “no avoidable contact” with the victim.
Gerken’s next court date was a pretrial hearing scheduled for March 11, 2026.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in January, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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