Westport in_brief Sunday, December 18, 2016

Westport in Brief!

EverythingWestport.com

Sunday, December 18, 2016

photos/EverythingWestport.com except as noted

Fall River man goes on wild and whacky crime spree.

The partially-masked thief was thwarted in an armed robbery attempt at Westport Apothecary.

EverythingWestport.com

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Tuesday, December 13th was not one of Justin Tunney-Lassiter’s better days.

In fact, it couldn’t have been any worse.

After fleeing the State Road Dartmouth Target store in an alleged shoplifting incident, the Fall River man evaded a wild, mid-day police chase that started at Faunce Corner Road, and ended up in the Dartmouth Mall parking lot where pursuing police finally broke off the chase after the 29-year-old Tunny-Lassiter struck several cars and ran down a pedestrian while driving a stolen 2010 Dodge Caliber.

But the 47 Hamlet Street resident on the run wasn’t done yet. In fact he was just getting started.

The partially-masked thief then drove to the Westport apothecary and attempted to hold up a store clerk who had no cash-in-hand, so the frustrated bandit demanded lottery tickets.

The hysterical clerk yelled for help and the suspect fled the store, no cash and no tickets, according to Westport Detective Tony Cestodio.

An hour later he was spotted going into Harry’s General Store on American Legion Highway with an iron rod, just down the street from Ace Hardware, by Westport police officer Johnny Couto.

Rather than confront the suspect in the store, Couto waited for backup while also waiting for Tunny-Lassiter to exit Harry’s.

Officer Dave Leite responded and together they arrested without incident the hapless man as he left the store.

Quick intervention by Westport police probably saved Harry’s from an attempted robbery.

As a result of the shoplifting and police chase in Dartmouth, Tunney-Lassiter faces many charges, Dartmouth police said.

The pedestrian who was struck by Tunney-Lassiter was evaluated at the scene, and refused further treatment and transport to the hospital, police said.

Tunney-Lassiter also has two outstanding warrants: one for a December Somerset armed robbery and the second was for motor vehicle offenses and larceny in Fall River.

Now he will face charges in Westport for attempted armed robbery while masked.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Westport Police Detective Division at 508.636.1122.

EverythingWestport.com