© Gannett Co., Inc. 2020. On the other hand, a prominent example of a massive gathering that flouted mask wearing and physical distancing was the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which led to a significant increase in coronavirus cases, Pierre said. Wicked Local Whitman ~ 1324 Belmont St., Unit 102, ... Archive; Home; News. "It may not happen, but it certainly is very high risk. The allegations were first discussed in a closed Facebook group called Whitman Pride. All rights reserved. The event came just two days after the town of Whitman sent out a message warning community members to remain vigilant against the spread of the coronavirus, following a spike in cases. He told police he waited in the area to see if he would receive another ride request. Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. Black Lives Matter protests have all taken place outdoors, and many organizers encouraged or practiced social distancing, keeping participants separated by 6 feet when possible, she said. The Enterprise reached out to Anthony Federico, the organizer behind the America Backs the Blue event, but he twice said he was too busy when asked for comment on this story. "It's not just about their own health risk participants face. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. You can follow him on Twitter at @cshepard_ENT. According to data shared by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health last week, there were 12 cases of COVID-19 in Whitman during the last two-week period. Pierre said even though the event was held in the open air, with so many people gathered closely together without wearing masks for a prolonged period of time, it could lead to a surge of coronavirus cases throughout Massachusetts. The event organized by a group called America Backs the Blue attracted around 1,000 people from across the region, the vast majority not wearing masks, gathering and mingling in a tightly packed Whitman VFW parking lot for close to an hour on Sunday morning, before setting off on a motorcycle ride throughout the South Shore. At about 6:30 p.m., Brockton Police began pursuing the … Police received a call from a parent on Thursday morning who reported that there was a man in a gray SUV who was attempting to talk to students at a bus stop on Beulah Street. Since June 27, evidence of BB or pellet gun-related vandalism has been reported at more than two dozen individual residences and business in at least seven local communities, including Whitman, East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Raynham, Bridgewater, Halifax and Hanson. Police received a call from a parent on Thursday morning who reported that there was a man in a gray SUV who was attempting to talk to students at a bus stop on Beulah Street. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. Head over to PatriotLedger.com to sign up for alerts and make sure you never miss a thing. Although police initially said the man attempted to speak to children at the bus stop, he told police he never spoke to any children, which police say they later confirmed. Whitman police said they notified Abington police, who reported having a similar incident in their town on Wednesday at one of their elementary schools, but later learned the vehicle did not match the description given in their incident. ... Obituaries Homes Calendar Scanner E-edition. Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. A student at the bus stop had taken a photo of the man's license plate and was able to provide it to police for their investigation. Conservatives and Trump supporters have said that Black Lives Matter protests get a pass from coronavirus-related criticisms in the media and from public health officials, while protests against lockdowns and Trump rallies get blasted in the media for violating public health guidelines. A report from San Diego State University’s Center for Health Economics & Policy Studies stated that an estimated 266,796 coronavirus cases could be traced to the motorcycle rally, which involved around 460,000 people from around the country gathering in South Dakota, where they congregated in bars and restaurants and most people didn't wear masks. Whitman 'expressed significant concerns' before rally. It's also the people they live with and the communities they're returning to," said Dr. Cassandra Pierre, acting hospital epidemiologist, who's also an assistant professor of medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine. © Gannett Co., Inc. 2021. Wicked Local Media Solutions Our multimedia account executives and managers are trained to serve your advertising needs across our digital and print products. WHITMAN — The "Back the Blue" motorcycle rally that started in Whitman was meant as a patriotic gesture of support and goodwill toward law enforcement, as police departments across the country face criticism, calls for defunding and demands for reform, after Black Lives Matter protests erupted across the nation this year to decry racial injustice and the excessive use of force. BOSTON – A Whitman man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Boston for child pornography offenses. "The town of Whitman expressed significant concerns about the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and emphasized the precautions all residents and visitors should be taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus," the written statement says. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. The man's injuries are not believed to be life threatening.Want news like this sent straight to your inbox? Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. Wicked Local Whitman ~ 1324 Belmont St., Unit 102, ... Archive; Home; News. Police & Fire; Police Scanner; Building Community; Community; Education; State News; Shareable; Business; Sports. "Regardless of the rally's intent, both the Whitman Police and Whitman Fire Departments felt that due to the pandemic, this was not the time for an event where a large number of people were expected to attend. Pierre, the epidemiologist, said much has been said about supposed hypocrisy in public health, as Black Lives Matter protests take place, drawing large numbers to outdoor rallies all over the country this year. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. The Whitman Police Department takes all allegations of police officer misconduct seriously." "It doesn't when you have a lack of that attention in other kinds of rallies.". Matthew Kulikowski, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 151 months in prison and five years of supervised release. A user posted that Whitman officers were spotted "doing shots" at Venus III, a sports bar and restaurant in Hanson, on Friday afternoon following the Plymouth County Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education … Whitman police said they have identified a person of interest. Senior reporter Cody Shepard can be reached by email at cshepard@enterprisenews.com. "If you're rallying on behalf of police, they are front lines workers. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. "It shows that when people pay attention to physical distancing and wearing masks, that kind of close attention really seems to pay off," she said. While the event may have been held to show appreciation and support of police, it also has the makings of a "superspreader" incident that could increase the risk of infection for those very same law enforcement officers who work on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, along with their family members, according to a hospital epidemiologist from Boston Medical Center. That investigation led police to the driver of the SUV, who said he had dropped off a rider in Brockton and was driving through Whitman to pick up another customer when the ride was canceled. Please scroll down to the Contacts section for your local advertising specialist's contact information. Local news and headlines for Canton, Randolph, Stoughton and Holbrook from Wicked Local's Journal News Independent. We can never know ahead of time what large gatherings might become superspreader events and which won't.". attracted around 1,000 people from across the region, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Local news and headlines for Plymouth from Wicked Local's Old Colony Memorial. At Black Lives Matter rallies, the vast majority of participants wore masks, which greatly reduces the risk of transmitting the coronavirus via airborne respiratory droplets. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. WHITMAN - A Whitman apartment, where fentanyl was being sold and where at least five people had overdosed in the past four months, was raided by the WEB Task Force Monday night, police … Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. WHITMAN — Police said Thursday morning that they were attempting to identify a "suspicious" man who had attempted to speak to children at a bus stop that morning. Police say the same man then followed the bus for a short time after the students had boarded, before he continued into Abington. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. The warning from town officials on Friday reminded residents of Gov. Asked about the event on Sunday, which drew Whitman police to serve as traffic control, Police Chief Timothy Hanlon and Fire Chief Timothy Grenno provided a joint statement, noting that they didn't feel like this was the appropriate time to hold such a large event due to the ongoing pandemic. ... Plymouth police log: Jan. 4-6. Police received a call from a parent about 8:15 a.m. who reported that there was a man in a gray SUV who was attempting to talk to students at a bus stop on Beulah Street. Staff writer Marc Larocque can be reached at mlarocque@enterprisenews.com. Furthermore, Pierre said, coronavirus testing that took place in the wake of many Black Lives Matter protests showed that they did not cause major spikes in COVID-19 cases. Charlie Baker's revised guidelines on public gatherings, capping the maximum number of people permitted at outdoor gatherings on both public and private property at 50, along with a requirement that people wear face coverings whenever more than 10 people from different households get together or when 6 feet of social distancing is not feasible. WHITMAN — A 29-year-old Whitman man was sent to the hospital after mixing two pool chemicals together "causing several minor explosions," according to the Whitman Fire Department. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. But they also recognized the motorcyclists' Constitutional right to assemble. "However, in order to ensure the safety of those who took part, the Whitman Police Department assisted with traffic control during the event," the chiefs added. "We respect our residents' right to assemble, but our top priority is and will continue to be the safety of our residents and all those in Whitman. In January 2020, Kulikowski pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child … Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. The DPH said the average daily incidence rate per 100,000 people in Whitman increased from 1.9 reported in the state's weekly community-by-community report on Sept. 2, to a daily rate of 5.6 in last week's report, jumping from unshaded (no designation due to lack of risk) to yellow (moderate risk) on the state's COVID-19 risk assessment map. Expert says mask-wearing makes a difference. Police & Fire; Police Scanner; Building Community; Community; Education; State News; Shareable; Business; Sports. The event did not receive approval from town officials, the fire chief or the police chief, who said it wasn't the right time to hold such a large gathering, regardless of the good intentions of the motorcyclists and others in attendance. But Pierre said there is a difference between the two. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. WHITMAN — The "Back the Blue" motorcycle rally that started in Whitman was meant as a patriotic gesture of support and goodwill toward law enforcement, as police departments across the country face criticism, calls for defunding and demands for reform, after Black Lives Matter protests erupted across the nation this year to decry racial injustice and the excessive use of force. But later on Thursday, police said they had identified that man as a Lyft driver who was waiting to receive a fare — and that he had never spoken to the children. These restrictions were blatantly violated at Sunday's event, although the VFW required anyone who went indoors to use the bathroom to first put on a mask. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. Follow him on Twitter @Enterprise_Marc. Many of the attendees waved American flags, displayed thin blue line flags and held America Backs the Blue signs. The suspect led police on a chase into Abington near the Whitman town line before crashing his vehicle and fleeing on foot. At the same time, Pierre said the Black Lives Matter protests were not entirely without risk for the spread of the coronavirus, due to the size of the gatherings, and the chanting and singing by protesters that generated those respiratory droplets that transmit the virus. We strongly urge everyone to continue to remain cognizant of the need for social distancing and face coverings whenever in public in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.". "Even though it's outside with good ventilation, without masks it's a recipe for a superspreader event," Pierre said. Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. WHITMAN - Whitman Police are still searching for a man who tried to abduct a 9-year-old girl who was playing outside Friday afternoon.At about 4:16 p.m., Whitman Police received a call from a resident of Lazel Street who said there had been an attempted abduction of a girl. Advertise with us! Listen to the police/fire scanner in your Wicked Local community. You don't want to risk exposing them by not wearing masks and congregating closely together in large numbers.". Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. © 2021 www.wickedlocal.com. Wicked Local Whitman ~ 1324 Belmont St., Unit 102, Brockton, MA 02301 ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Cookie Policy ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service ~ Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy, Cody Shepard The Enterprise @cshepard_ENT, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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