GROTON — On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at approximately 9:05 a.m., Officer Michael Lynn of the Groton Police Department was parked on Main Street (Route 119) monitoring traffic when he observed an older-model silver Dodge Journey with an expired inspection sticker from October 2022.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Michael Lynn for the incident and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“I pulled out behind the vehicle and then observed there was also a defective passenger-side rear taillight,” Officer Lynn said. “I activated my emergency blue lights signaling for the vehicle to pull over in a safe location. The vehicle turned off of Main Street (Route 119) onto Station Ave and stopped.”
After the vehicle pulled over, Officer Lynn radioed the vehicle’s registration and location to dispatch.
“I exited my cruiser and approached the vehicle on the driver’s side, making contact with the operator, later identified as the registered owner, James Flaherty,” Officer Lynn said.
According to police, James L. Flaherty, 42, is a resident of Pepperell, MA.
“I then observed in the rear seat a car seat with Mr. Flaherty’s son in the vehicle,” Officer Lynn said. “I asked Mr. Flaherty for his driver’s license and vehicle registration, which he was able to produce for me.”
After Officer Lynn explained to Flaherty that he pulled him over because of his expired inspection sticker and defective equipment, Flaherty replied that there were several issues with the vehicle preventing it from passing inspection.
“Mr. Flaherty stated that one of the things was tires, which he just got four new tires on the vehicle and had the receipt to show me,” Officer Lynn said. “Mr. Flaherty stated that he is working on the taillight.”
Officer Lynn then returned to his cruiser and using his onboard laptop computer, ran a license and warrant check of Flaherty.
“The RMV responded that Mr. Flaherty had an active driver’s license,” Officer Lynn said, adding that the RMV’s database also indicated that Flaherty was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued by Ayer District Court on Oct. 7, 2025, for charges including operating with a suspended license, an inspection sticker violation, and an equipment violation.
“I approached the vehicle and made contact with Mr. Flaherty again. I advised Mr. Flaherty of the warrant and asked if there was anyone he could contact to pick up his son. Mr. Flaherty made contact with his wife who later responded to pick up their son,” Officer Lynn said. “Mr. Flaherty explained that he had taken care of his license. I informed Mr. Flaherty that his license was active, however, the warrant was for failure to appear on a court summons for the offenses.”
Officer Lynn then asked Flaherty whether he was still living at his residence on Jewett Street and if he had been living there awhile and he stated yes.
“Mr. Flaherty then explained that he was in the middle of a divorce and that there is a stack of mail at home on the table that he has neglected and that it was probably in that,” Officer Lynn said. “After Mr. Flaherty’s son was picked up, he was allowed to park the vehicle in a parking spot of the closed Bank of America parking lot.”
Flaherty was then placed under arrest and transported to the Groton Police Department for booking.
“In booking, Mr. Flaherty was afforded all of his rights and was booked in the normal manner. Mr. Flaherty was polite and cooperative throughout the process,” Officer Lynn added.
James L. Flaherty, 42, of Pepperell, was charged with the following violations/offenses:
- Warrant Arrest
- Inspection sticker violation
- Equipment violation
After he was booked, Officer Lynn said Flaherty was transported to Ayer District Court for his arraignment, which was scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
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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