Posted on 09/06/2012 4:51:20 AM PDT by marktwain
PHILLIPSTON — A Phillipston man has been charged with trespassing, after a resident of Barre Road in Phillipston found him on his property Saturday night, confronted him with a handgun, and held him in custody until police arrived.
Alex P. Travisano, 22, of Phillipston, was arraigned Tuesday in Gardner District Court on a charge of trespassing. He was released on personal recognizance bail after Judge Arthur F. Haley III rejected a plea agreement which he would have pleaded guilty and accepted a sentence of one year of probation.
Mr. Travisano was arrested after the son of the homeowner saw motion detection lights go on along the driveway of his home. He noticed Mr. Travisano standing near the house along the tree line, and then heard the garage door open and close.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegram.com ...
The guy should consider himself lucky that he wasn’t shot and killed when he went into the garage.
IIRC, Phillipston has a lower population density than the entire state of Montana. (literally). I wouldn’t call it rural, but the houses are far apart.
In Massachusetts, the local police chief decides whether or not you get a gun permit. I can see that Phillipston is nothing like Boston.
I'm afraid that I'd be just soooooooo nervous that my handgun would 'accidentally' go off and poor Alex, whom I am sure is a -- 'good boy and is turning his life around' 
-- would be no more. And I'd feel oh-so bad I prolly wouldn't be able to sleep the next night.
Well, until 9:00 pm anyway. (rotfl)
I am one of them (have a CC permit in Mass), many of the small towns in Mass are nothing like the big cities with bad reps, it is actually quite easy if you have a clean record to get a CC permit in Mass, but as you say is up to the discretion of the local police chief.
I know quite a few folks with permits fully-automatic weapons permits as well in Mass - its not as hard as you think. I know I could get one easily, just don’t plan on buying a ‘machine gun’ anytime soon so I haven’t bothered.
In Massachusetts you’d be in deep doo-doo if you shot an intruder on your property. I’m surprised the perp didn’t try to force his way past the homeowner instead of waiting for the police. Here in the People’s Republic the law says use of deadly force is only justified if you fear for your life and you are unable to flee — you can point a gun at a home invader, but if he takes exception you’re supposed to run away rather than use it.
Oddly enough, I heard of one the other day with an armed homeowner who was more than ready to shoot an intruder, but realized that something was wrong, didn’t, and actually saved the intruder’s life.
The first this he noticed was that the intruder was more slowly staggering than doing anything. Then that he was wearing nice clothes, not clothes a burglar would wear. Maybe drunk or on drugs, but he didn’t look like he was drunk or on drugs.
Turns out he was having either a diabetic hyper- or hypoglycemic attack. He was a “standing eight” count out of it, and all he could do was stagger.
Pretty good deduction for someone woken up late at night, with his gun drawn on an intruder. In any event, since the intruder could not communicate, fortunately the paramedics got there quickly and tended to him.
He later explained to the homeowner that he was driving home when he suddenly realized he couldn’t drive anymore and pulled over. And *then* he realized he was so far gone that he couldn’t even give himself his medicine. But his legs still worked so he staggered to the homeowner’s house looking for help.
“I picked the right house. Thanks!”
Maybe Judge Haley III was pissed that an armed homeowner succeeded in apprehending the criminal.
The Town of Phillipston is located in Central Massachusetts, about 20 miles west of Fitchburg. Rural and remote, Phillipston is marked by forests, winding roads and historic stonewalls; it serves as the northern entrance to the Quabbin Reservoir.
Its one village - the historic town center - is comprised of a town common ringed by numerous municipal buildings, a school and 19th century homes.
A small number of retail and food outlets are located several miles away, along busy Route 2A. Easy access to four-lane state highway Route 2, has made Phillipston an attractive and affordable bedroom community for workers along the Route 2 and 495 corridors. .
As a result, the town has grown significantly, with the US Census population almost doubling between 1970 (872 residents) and 2000 (1,621).
LOL, you've never been to Montana have you. It has counties larger than massachusetts.
On my police scanner I hear of civilian CCWs protecting themselves in a nearby city of 100,000 and cops just send the defender on his way.
Seems all we hear about is what government editors want us to know.
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