Charges of racism erupted this week at the Tisbury police department, with the town's only African-American year-round officer saying he has been the subject of harassment, jokes and even an offens
A Tisbury police officer is facing several charges in Edgartown district court after allegedly interfering with firefighters trying to fight a dryer fire at her home.
Kelly R. Kershaw, 30, will be charged with interfering with a firefighter, assault and battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct and threat to commit a crime; the complaint was issued last Wednesday and an arraignment scheduled for that Friday was continued to June 28. Ms. Kershaw is a Tisbury police officer currently on leave.
An Oak Bluffs man who had fallen into the harbor early Thursday morning and was struggling to stay afloat was rescued when police officers from Tisbury and Oak Bluffs rushed to his aid.
Officers pulled Nelson Ferreira, 40, from the Oak Bluffs harbor at approximately 4:30 a.m. Thursday, Oak Bluffs Lieut. Timothy Williamson said.
A Tisbury police officer has been placed on leave after she was involved in a one-car crash last week.
Officer Kelly Kershaw sustained minor injuries after she drove a police car into a tree on State Road on Nov. 20, according to state police.
According to state police Sgt. Thomas Medeiros, Ms. Kershaw said that she felt like she was going to pass out before she hit the tree. Ms. Kershaw was travelling west on State Road and struck the tree around Mayflower Lane.
The firing of a longtime Tisbury police sergeant over his alleged mishandling of a 2011 domestic and sexual assault case was upheld last week by an arbitrator.
In a decision dated Oct. 12, arbitrator Richard G. Boulanger found that the selectmen’s November 2011 decision to dismiss Sgt. Robert Fiske was justified.
Sergeant Fiske, who had been with the department for 20 years, was fired for failing to comply with the Tisbury police department’s domestic violence and sexual assault policies.
Complaints against the Tisbury police department and Sgt. Timothy Stobie alleging discrimination based on sexual harassment have been found to have probable cause, after the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination investigated a broad complaint by a female officer, Kelly Kershaw.
Tisbury police believe they are getting closer to identifying the town’s peeping Tom, who remains active despite publicity about the case and the arrival of colder weather.
Det. Mark Santon said police now believed the man had been active since the summer, peering in windows over a large area of town. The most recent report of his activities came in on Wednesday.
