Jennifer Tabakin, Town Manager
Town Hall
334 Main St.
Great Barrington, MA 01230
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017
Contact: Chief William Walsh Jr.
Phone: 413-528-0306
Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Great Barrington Police Arrest Two Men after Shots Fired at Beach and Gun Displayed at Local Shop
This version has been updated to reflect the fact that the Great Barrington Police have located and seized the firearm involved in this case.
GREAT BARRINGTON — Chief William Walsh reports that two men were arrested last night after multiple incidents involving a firearm.
NATHAN J. BONA, AGE 20, OF SOUTHFIELD, was arrested and charged with:
- Assault With a Dangerous Weapon (Three Counts)
- Threat to Commit a Crime
- OUI Liquor
AUSTIN WHITNEY, AGE 22, OF GREAT BARRINGTON, was arrested and charged with two counts of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon.
At 10 p.m. yesterday, police were called to the beach at Lake Mansfield for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers were informed that two men, driving a pickup truck, had fired a handgun several times in the parking lot of the beach, striking a storage shed. There were no injuries as a result of the gunshots.
Minutes later, officers received a second call. This time, a clerk at the Cumberland Farms on Main Street reported that two men, in a pickup truck, were causing a disturbance. When the clerk confronted the pair, one of them lifted his shirt and allegedly displayed a firearm tucked into his waistband before the men fled in the truck.
However, they did not rob the store.
Officers quickly located the pickup truck believed to be the suspect’s vehicle. BONA and WHITNEY were subsequently arrested after a traffic stop.
Police later obtained and executed a search warrant for the suspect’s pickup truck and located the firearm inside the vehicle.
Great Barrington Police Sgt. Adam Carlotto and Officer Christopher Peebles are leading the investigation.
The suspects were released on personal recognizance by a clerk magistrate this morning and are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow in Southern Berkshire District Court.
“This is a great example if why it is important to call the police immediately when you see something suspicious. In this instance, we have two suspects who were being irresponsible with a firearm, and we were able to locate them within minutes of the first call,” Chief Walsh said. “Thankfully, citizens called the police and we were able to arrest the suspects before an innocent person was hurt as a result of their wanton and reckless conduct.”
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