Police officers step in and provide roadside assistance

Officer Kelly O’Dowd of the Millis Police Department helped change the tire of this vehicle.Millis Police Department

Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesser-known — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our suburbs.

LENDING A HELPING HAND

No one likes getting a flat tire, and it’s not much fun waiting on the side of the road for help to show up either — especially when you end up waiting a long time. That was the situation three young women found themselves in earlier this month in Millis, but luckly, two police officers on the overnight shift were willing to lend them a hand. It was at the start of the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift when Officers Kelly O’Dowd and Paul Smith came across the disabled vehicle on Ridge Street by Auburn Road, where the women had been waiting over an hour for roadside assistance to arrive. Instead of letting them wait even longer, O’Dowd and Smith decided to put their automotive skills to use and changed the tire for them so they could get back on the road and continue on their way.

POOR POOCH

At 11:38 a.m. July 17, Bridgewater police got a call from a concerned citizen who was worried about a yard sale that was selling a dog. The caller told police that the dog was caged with no water and was directly in the sun. An officer checked out the situation and learned the reason why: The dog was a stuffed animal.

LAST SONG OF THE NIGHT

At 12:20 a.m. June 4, Peabody police received a call from a resident who reported that her neighbor was singing too loudly. According to the log entry, police reported that the singing neighbor refused to open the apartment door and come out, but did indeed stop singing after the officers knocked.

UNINVITED SKINNY-DIPPER

At 11:23 a.m. July 3, Wakefield police got a call from a resident who reported that a naked man jumped into his pool and then fled from the property.

LOST IN SONG

At 10:11 p.m. July 11, Norwood police checked on some suspicious activity on Upland Woods Circle. According to the log entry, the officer reported that someone in a parked vehicle on that street was yelling loudly and flailing their arms. The officer spoke to the person, who turned out to be fine and was just “singing and animated” because they were really feeling the music.

PROTEST GETS PHYSICAL

At 4:35 p.m. July 8, Acton police responded to a protest that was taking place outside the Discovery Museum in Acton. The protesters were speaking out against COVID‐19 vaccinations for children. According to police reports, one of the protesters told police that a heavy-set man with a beard approached them and “destroyed the sign they made,” took the PVC pipe that held the sign, and allegedly hit the protesters with it. One of the protesters pepper-sprayed the man, who eventually left the scene. At approximately 7:17 p.m., officers were dispatched back to the museum for the protesters’ return. The protestors were positioned across the street, standing on the sidewalk. Police remained on the scene until the protesters left and there were no further issues.