Police, Fire & Courts | Dartmouth

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Bristol County District Attorney ordered to test DNA from a 1988 Dartmouth murder

Shawn Tanner, while released on medical parole, shortly before his untimely death in 2022. Source: New England Innocence Project

Thirty-seven years after Shawn Tanner of Dartmouth was convicted of murdering a sex worker in Dartmouth and five years after requesting DNA testing, the…

Former Dartmouth man found not guilty for half sister's murder

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Former Dartmouth resident David Reed, who was accused of killing his half sister with a conch…

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Bristol County Jail eliminates nearly $3 million

In an effort to prioritize jail operations, Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux has eliminated nearly $3 million in non-jail positions within the Bristol County Sheriff’s Department. The units that saw positions eliminated or left vacated are COVID...

Dartmouth Jail receives funding for correctional classes

The Healey-Driscoll administration announced they are awarding the Bristol County Sheriff’s office $63,208 for welding education and training as a part of a grant for career and technical education in correctional facilities. “These grants will...

Car caught fire on State Road, cause unknown

The car on fire. Source: Jaime Lyn Carvalho

Around 12 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 2 a Hyundai Sedan caught fire on State Road near the Dartmouth Towne Center, and the cause is currently unknown. According to Fire District 3 Chief Richard Arruda, the driver heard a “bang” and noticed the engine...

Dartmouth teen charged in New Year's Day alleged hit-and-run that killed pedestrian in New Bedford

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A 16-year-old from Dartmouth faces five charges for an early New Year’s Day car crash that killed Nicolasa Ventura Colaj, 33, of New Bedford. The teen has been charged with motor vehicle homicide, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the...

New Bedford man arrested for lewd crimes in Dartmouth

Francisco Tavares. Source: Detective Lieutenant Keith R. DaCosta

Francisco Tavares, 61 of New Bedford, was arrested on Wednesday, Nov. 26 as a part of an undercover investigation into reports of people being flashed while at Harry Reynold’s Park. He is being charged with open and gross lewdness and lewd, wanton...

Two Dartmouth police employees awarded in state-wide awards

Captain Sam Raposa with his Supervisor of the Year award. Source: Bristol County Sheriff's Department

Two members of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Department were awarded by the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association. They were two of 10 people awarded this year. Alyssa Perley of Fall River won Employee of the Year for her work at the Dartmouth House...

No one injured in Crossroad Apartments fire

The damage from the fire at Crossroads Apartments. Source: Dartmouth Fire District 3

The Dartmouth Fire Departments responded to a kitchen fire at the Crossroad Apartments at 7:29 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 1. District 3 responded to the fire following a box alarm and a 911 call. Chief Richard Arruda said the Department of Fire Services...

Dartmouth man arrested for multiple drug charges

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A Dartmouth man was arrested on multiple drug charges following a weeks-long narcotics investigation on Friday, Nov. 14. Jeremiah Cowart, 34, was taken into custody by Dartmouth Police detectives after he fled from his home when detectives came...

Bristol County Sheriff settles $10 million ICE lawsuit for 2020 altercation

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Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux settled a $10 million lawsuit that was brought against former Sheriff Thomas Hodgson and two federal agencies following an altercation that occurred at the now closed Immigrations and Customs Enforcement facility...

Jail librarian indicted for allegedly smuggling $65,000 worth of synthetic marijuana

Paul Heroux

A former librarian at the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction was indicted on Monday, Oct. 20 for being part of what may be the largest alleged employee drug smuggling scheme in the jail’s history. On June 9, 2025, New Bedford resident and...

New Bedford man charged for attempting to smuggle cocaine into Dartmouth jail

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A New Bedford man has been charged for allegedly attempting to smuggle in a large amount of cocaine into Bristol County Jail and House of Correction in Dartmouth. Raymond Molina-Caraballo, 28, of New Bedford was a former inmate who had warrants out...

Plane crash victims were flying on personal family flight

Tom Perkins, daughter Emily Perkins Hatch (center), and Aggie Perkins. Source: The Newport This Week

Thomas Perkins, 68, and Agatha Perkins, 66, who died on Monday, Oct. 13 when their plane crashed on I-195, were flying from the New Bedford Regional Airport to Kenosha, Wisconsin on a personal family flight, wrote Larry Camerlin, president of Angel...

Two dead in I-195 plane crash

Two are confirmed dead after a small plane crashed in the median and caught on fire on I-195 near exit 19 and Reed Road Monday morning. Thomas Perkins, 68, and his wife Agatha Perkins, 66, of Middletown, Rhode Island were found in the plane's...

Dartmouth man charged for illegally possessing firework materials and instructions

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Kevin Ruiz, 54, of Dartmouth faces two felony charges and six misdemeanor charges after materials that can be used to build fireworks and instructions on how to do so were found in a garage where he had been living. The charges come after fireworks...

Playing with fire with the Dartmouth fire departments

Jeremy McNamera and his son Bennett, spray a fire hose. Photos by Kat Sheridan

“That’s a fire!” a kid yelled as firefighters demonstrated how to safely put out a grease fire at the District 3 Fire station open house on Saturday, Oct. 4. District 2 also had an open house on Sunday, Oct. 5 The open houses were planned for Fire...

Fire breaks out in a Dartmouth barn

Fire breaks out in a Dartmouth barn. Source: Dartmouth Fire Department District 2

A fire broke out in a barn at 86 Division Road around 4:40 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3. District 2 responded to a 911 call reporting the fire. The firefighters determined the fire was caused by overheated machinery. No one was injured. The barn was...

Two teenagers die in early morning car crash

Brielle Raposo,16, and Cameren Gutter, 15, both of Fall River died early Saturday morning in a single car car crash while driving a stolen vehicle on Route 195. Shortly after 1 a.m., Massachusetts State Police received 911 calls for an erratic...