MAYNARD — On Thursday, August 27, 2026, at approximately 6:58 p.m., Maynard Police Officer James Banatoski was on patrol, driving down Nason Street toward Main Street when he observed an older green Toyota Tacoma with Massachusetts plates parked on the side of the road.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer James Banatoski and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
Officer Banatoski ran the Toyota Tacoma’s registration through his cruiser’s mobile data terminal and determined that it was registered to 51-year-old Jason B. Brady, of Acton, Massachusetts. He also learned that Brady’s license was suspended and that he had an active warrant issued out of Concord District Court on Aug. 24, 2026.
“The charges on the warrant were operating on a suspended license, no license in possession, and no registration in possession,” Officer Banatoski said. “His Massachusetts license…was suspended on April 14, 2026 for an ignition interlock violation.”
Officer Banatoski said that while he turned his cruiser around behind 102 Main Street, he observed the Toyota travel down Nason Street and then turn left onto Main Street.
“I activated my blue lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle, and the vehicle took a sharp turn into the Sanctuary driveway as I was pulling up behind it. Sanctuary is a music venue located at 82 Main Street in downtown Maynard,” Officer Banatoski said. “The vehicle then traveled at a higher rate of speed than was normal for the tight-quarters parking lot, which is also known to have heavy pedestrian traffic.”
Officer Banatoski followed the vehicle to River Street, where it turned right.
“By the time I reached River Street through the parking lot, I observed the vehicle at the intersection of Walnut Street, approximately 250 feet down the road,” Officer Banatoski said. “The vehicle then took a sharp right turn into a parking lot on the righthand side. Once I caught up to the vehicle, I observed the operator moving side to side in the front seat of the vehicle. The operator then exited the vehicle.”
Officer Banatoski said that at this time he exited his cruiser and told the driver to get back into his vehicle.
“I gave the instruction numerous times before the operator got back into the vehicle,” Officer Banatoski said.
Officer Banatoski then radioed dispatch the location of the stop and requested confirmation of Brady’s license status and active warrant.
At around this time, Sergeant Eric Davoll and Officer Joseph Gennaro arrived on scene to assist.
Officer Banatoski said the driver’s hands were shaking and his eyes were darting back and forth.
“This behavior is known to me through my training and experience to indicate that either the operator is hiding something in the vehicle or that they know they might be doing something illegal,” Officer Banatoski said.
Officer Banatoski said the driver was later identified as the Toyota Tacoma’s registered owner, Jason Brady.
“I advised Jason that he was stopped due to his license being suspended and that he had an active warrant, which dispatch confirmed,” Officer Banatoski said. “He advised me that he was unaware of his license being suspended and did not know he had an active warrant.”
Officer Banatoski asked Brady to step out of the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs.
“I double locked them and checked for proper fit,” Officer Banatoski said. He added that since Brady’s vehicle was in a parking spot, a tow was not requested.
Officer Banatoski then transported Brady to the Maynard Police Department for booking.
Jason B. Brady, 51, of Acton, was charged with the following:
- Operating Motor Vehicle with License Suspended
- Warrant Arrest
Brady’s bail was set at personal recognizance, and his arraignment was scheduled for the morning of Aug. 28, 2026, in Concord District Court.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in August, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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