NORWOOD – What started as an arrest spiraled into a night of verbal outbursts and alleged threats directed at a Norwood police officer, leading to a formal warning from department leadership.
According to Norwood Police reports filed by Sergeant William Fundora and Lieutenant James Payne Jr., an unnamed prisoner held at the Norwood Police station on Monday, Dec. 15, spent much of his time in custody focused on a personal grudge against his arresting officer.
The report highlights an unusual layer to the conflict: the prisoner and the arresting officer reportedly frequent the same local gym. This familiarity seemed to fuel the prisoner’s anger.
According to his report, Sgt. Fundora noted that the prisoner made several derogatory remarks, including calling the arresting officer a “little Italian” and a “little bitch.” More concerning to department officials were the repeated comments regarding their shared workout space.
“Wait till I see him at the gym,” the prisoner allegedly said several times throughout the night, police say.
The verbal abuse allegedly continued during the prisoner’s transport to Dedham District Court for his arraignment the following day. Transporting officers reported to police supervisors that the individual’s language became increasingly aggressive and included homophobic slurs.
“He’s not going to be going to my gym,” the prisoner reportedly told the transporting officers, doubling down on his intent to confront the arresting officer outside of his professional duties.
The department took the comments seriously. Two days later, Lieutenant James Payne Jr. contacted the arrestee via telephone to address the threats.
Lt. Payne informed the man that any future incidents of alleged intimidation toward the arresting officer could result in additional criminal charges. According to the supplemental report, the man agreed to cease his actions and stated he would avoid the officer in the future.
At this time, no additional charges have been filed regarding the remarks, though the department has made it clear that the “gym talk” has reached its limit.
Norwood Police would not release the name of the prisoner who allegedly made those remarks. We were unable to obtain a comment from the Norwood Police at the time of this article. -RD
