Leominster man arrested after reports of woman screaming, possible gunshots near Bank of America

LEOMINSTER — On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at approximately 9:45 a.m. Leominster Police Officer Tanner Jakola responded to the parking lot behind Bank of America at 1 Main Street after dispatch received a call reporting that a woman was dying and a man was carrying her away.

(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Tanner Jakola and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)

“Dispatch advised they received multiple calls on this,” Officer Jakola said. “While en route, dispatch advised they received a call stating they heard three gun shots fired in the area. All available units were sent to the scene.”

Upon arrival, Officer Jakola said he observed Officer Carlos Cintrón and outreach clinician Jennessa Mossey-McQuade speaking with a woman he recognized as Kristen Broomfield.

“Kristen was engaging with Officer Cintron and asked to see the back of his cruiser, believing someone was dead inside,” Officer Jakola said. “It was clear she was having a mental health crisis. A male party, who I recognized as Holvin Nieves was standing next to Kristen. From past police encounters with Holvin, I knew he had a history of carrying firearms.”

According to police, Holvin Nieves, 44, is a resident of Leominster, MA.

“Due to the nature of the call, a female yelling about someone dying and a witness hearing multiple shots fired, I pat frisked Holvin for weapons,” Officer Jakola said. “I had to tell Holvin multiple times to keep his hands out by his side before frisking him.”

Officer Jakola said Nieves was wearing a cross-body bag secured across his chest, and that he felt multiple hard objects inside while frisking it.

“I then patted down his left jacket pocket and felt a hard object that had the size and shape of a firearm,” Officer Jakola said. “I unzipped the pocket and pulled out what I believed to be a firearm. The gun was seized and Holvin was placed in handcuffs. Holvin kept yelling that the object was a lighter that resembled a firearm.”

Officer Jonathan Benoit secured the suspected firearm and determined it was, in fact, a lighter designed to resemble a small gun.

“I continued the pat frisk of Holvin,” Officer Jakola said. “I patted down his right jacket pocket and felt a hard object that I believed could be a weapon. I unzipped the jacket pocket and pulled out a glass pipe that was burnt on one end.”

Officer Jakola said that, based on his training and experience, he believed the pipe was used to ingest illegal drugs, such as crack.

“I asked Holvin when the last time he used was, and he stated he was just about to,” Officer Jakola said. “I asked if he had any needles on him and he stated he did not.”

Officer Jakola then patted down the left chest pocket of Nieves’ jacket.

“I felt multiple hard objects that could possibly be used as weapons,” Officer Jakola said. He opened the jacket pocket and saw multiple glass pipes that were burnt on one end, along with a red glassine baggie containing three small white, crystal-like pebbles he believed to be crack cocaine.

Officer Jakola said he then read Nieves his Miranda rights and he agreed to speak with him.

“I asked what was in the glassine bag and he told me it was crack cocaine,” Officer Jakola said. “A glassine baggy containing a green-leafy substance that I believed to be marijuana was also located in his pocket.”

Officer Jakola said that while he was dealing with Nieves, other officers were attempting to de-escalate Kristen.

“There were multiple concerned citizens in or near the parking lot watching what was going on,” Officer Jakola said. “Kristen also seemed to be fixated on Holvin and kept inquiring about him. At this point, it was best to get Holvin out of Kristen’s sight.”

Officer Jakola said that, at around this tine, he informed Nieves he was under arrest for possession of a Class B substance and turned him over to Officer Benoit to complete the search incident to arrest and transport him to the Leominster Police Department for booking.

“I stood by for a portion of the search and Officer Benoit found a small glassine baggy containing a brown powder that from training and experience was believed to be fentanyl, a Class A substance,” Officer Jakola said.

Officer Jakola said Kristen was placed under a Section 12 and transported to the hospital by Leominster Fire Department personnel. (A Section 12 order is a state law that allows for the involuntary hospitalization of those who pose a risk to themselves or others).

“Officer Benoit advised me that he found a gun lock in Holvin’s fanny pack,” Officer Jakola said. “Officer Cintron and I looked under vehicles and in trash cans believing Holvin may have discarded a firearm in the area. Our search yielded negative results.”

Officer Jakola said that after returning to the station, he contacted a witness, Lynne, who had called dispatch reporting that she heard gunshots.

“Lynne stated the following: She and a few other people were in the back of 29 Main Street and heard a loud woman yelling,” Officer Jakola said. “She stepped outside and heard three loud pops that she believed could have been gun shots. She retreated back inside and called police. Lynne stated the man who was arrested (Holvin) was pulling a female away (Kristen). Lynne advised she did not see Holvin or anyone else possess a firearm.”

Officer Jakola said that during the booking process at the station, Officer Benoit found four pills in a small blue container in Nieves’ possession that were later identified as cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride.

“Holvin also had a large amount of pills in white packaging material that had ‘Made in China’ on the front of the package,” Officer Jakola said, adding that two of the pills were tested and determined to be clonidine hydrochloride.

Officer Jakola said that after testing, he counted 99 pills in the packaging material and, based on how they were packaged, did not believe Nieves had a prescription for them, resulting in two counts of possession of a Class E substance.

“Officers also located a white powdery substance that was tightly packaged. It was believed to be cocaine. It was tested and came back negative,” Officer Jakola said. “Officer Benoit asked Holvin what the substance was, and he stated it was baking powder. Oftentimes, drug dealers will cut their product with baking powder. This substance was seized as evidence of drug paraphernalia.”

Officer Jakola said he was also advised that Nieves had multiple spoons, wrappers, glassine baggies and glass pipes in his possession. Those items were also seized as evidence.

“Two knives that were found in Holvin’s possession were also seized for safekeeping,” Officer Jakola said. Later adding, “Also during the booking process, coins that were suspected to be valuable and a debit card that did not have Holvin’s name were found in Holvin’s possession. Lieutenant [Sean] Ferguson advised the detective bureau, who spoke to Holvin about these items.”

Nieves’ bail was set at $2,000.

Nieves was arraigned in Leominster District Court on April 22, 2026. He then attended a pretrial hearing on April 30, 2026.

Nieves’ next court date is scheduled for May 18, 2026.

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Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in April, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.

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