The Police Log is a digest of reports filed by the Johnston Police. Either Chief Richard S. Tamburini or Deputy Chief David DeCesare has reviewed all reports.

JUST RUNNING
Patrolman Matthew Winsor reported he was working a detail at Commerce Way and Atwood Avenue around 9 a.m. on June 27 when he heard a dispatch about a shoplifting at the Home Depot store on Stone Hill Drive and that the suspect fled on foot and may still be in the area.
Winsor said he walked south on Atwood and observed a white male who fit the description in the broadcast except that the black shirt he was said to be wearing was now slung over his shoulder. He said the suspect was in the tall grassy area around the entrance to Route 6. He was sweaty and very nervous and apparently out of breath, according to Winsor. He said he ordered the man to stop and he was detained without incident.
Winsor said the man asked, “What did I do? I was just running.” But other officers arrived on the scene and the man was identified as the man seen taking two cordless drills worth a total of over $260 out of their packaging and concealing them in his shorts before leaving the store without paying for them. He was chased by store personnel and dropped the drills as he fled. Justin A. Evans, 22, of 201 Pitman St., East Providence, was taken to Rhode Island Hospital after he complained of an elevated heart rate and said he was “wigging out” on cocaine. He was held without bail for two Superior Court warrants as a probation violator.

GRAND SLAM
Patrolman Kevin Brady hit a grand slam of sorts on June 27 when he arrested a Johnston man at the Sky View Motor Inn for possession of cocaine and three other charges. He said he was patrolling the grounds of the motel when he saw a man walking around the parking lot talking to himself. Brady said he was concerned that the man had a mental problem and asked him what he was doing. He said the man told him his name was “James Deangels” and he did not have a mental problem, he was just talking to himself. Brady said he was in the process of checking the information the man gave him when he started walking away and said he was going to his room to get his identification and that Brady was welcome to come along. Brady said the room was a mess but he did spot a white rock on the dresser that looked like crack cocaine. He said he asked the man what it was and he replied, “Nothing that concerns you, give that back.” He placed the man under arrest and learned that his real name was Donald P. St. Angelo, 46, of 330 Simmonsville Ave. He said he also found $2,040 in a bank envelope on the dresser and learned that St. Angelo was wanted in Cranston for felony crank phone calls and disorderly conduct and in Johnston for a bad check. He was also charged with obstructing an officer by lying about his name.

DOMESTIC
Johnston police responded to a domestic disturbance on Hartford Avenue around 12:30 a.m. on June 28 and learned that the suspect had fled on foot. Several patrolmen located the suspect behind Johnston Fire Station #4 and, after a brief pursuit, arrested Taylor A. Finegan, 25, of 2365 Hartford Ave. The victim told police she had a fight with her boyfriend about a call she got from another man and he threw her on the bed and hit her several times in the face as she tried to call police and ripped the cell phone out of her hands. She told police she got the phone back and ran out of the house and called her mother before he caught up with her and attempted to get the phone again. Her mother heard the alteration and called police. Patrolman Kevin Brady reported that Finegan complained that he “blew his knee out” and couldn’t walk but showed little difficulty walking out of the woods through the bushes and rough terrain on both feet and without help. Nevertheless, Brady said they transported Finegan to Roger Williams Hospital, where he was x-rayed but no apparent injury was detected. He said Finegan was discharged with a small dose of ibuprofen for pain and transported back to headquarters, where he was charged with domestic assault, domestic disorderly, resisting arrest and failure to appear in District Court for a driving on a suspended license charge.

SNATCH AND RUN
Police responded to the Burlington Coat Factory store on Atwood Avenue around 8:30 p.m. for a shoplifting incident that had just occurred. Loss prevention personnel at the store told police three males entered the store earlier, gathered up several armfuls of clothing and fled out the door into a waiting car. The store estimated that $500 to $700 worth of merchandise was taken. One employee said a backpack one of the men had slung over his shoulder was worth $40 and a pair of pants found in the parking lot was priced at $16.99. Police said they got a partial number on a gold-colored sedan but no other information about the theft.

COPPER TAKEN
A manager for the National Grid substation at 2100 Hartford Ave. told police 10 copper “jug handles” had been unbolted from the station and a thick copper ground wire was cut and removed from a trailer at the site. They estimated that the copper was worth around $600 to the company. The manager told police there was video surveillance of the substation, but he didn’t know how to access it at that time. He told police he would deliver a copy of the video as soon as it was available. No suspects at the time.

HEAD ON
Patrolman John DeAngelis reported an accident at the intersection of Sanderson Road and Greenville Avenue around 2:40 p.m. on June 28. He said he arrived to find Johnston and Smithfield Rescue treating the victims. One of the drivers was still in her vehicle complaining of chest pain and had bleeding lacerations on her hands, knees, wrists and elbows. She told DeAngelis she had no memory of what happened before the impact but said she may have blacked out while driving. The people in the other vehicle were all out of their Ford Edge. Two female juveniles had no apparent injuries and the driver had abrasions and bruises from her seat belt. He told DeAngelis she was traveling north on Sanderson when the Dodge Neon approaching from the other direction crossed the double yellow line and slammed into her car. Both drivers were taken to Rhode Island Hospital and the two girls were taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital for evaluation. The driver of the Neon was charged with a laned roadway violation.