Anti-war groups had called for widespread civil disobedience for that day, including blocking busy intersections and staging a “die-in” to protest media and corporate “profiteering from the war.” As protesters were chanting “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Bush's war has to go!” and “Peace now!” Police and security officers placed a web of barricades along Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets, near St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Saks Fifth Avenue store.
Chief Gleason‘s day did not carry the promise of “New York” style action, so he had to create some on his own. Just promoted to Chief of Police, Gleason didn‘t waste any time and made his department the first in Hampden County to join the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, the Central Massachusetts SWAT team. Everything was in place for Chief Gleason to get some action that would, combined with others to come, help form his legend. Based on nothing more than alleged rumors, a SWAT team of 15 officers kicked in the door of Gleason‘s first victim at dawn on that fateful Thursday morning in March of 2003. The complaint filed thereafter by the owner of the rampaged house reads like a script of a bad movie: The search warrant issued by a Judge was based on a sworn affidavit submitted by Chief Kevin Gleason and Scott Haley, lead agent of the Eastern Hampden County Narcotic Task Force; the affidavit states that a confidential informant had bought marijuana from David Bunn at a time when David Bunn in fact was in a hospital getting surgery. All charges against the Bunn‘s eventually were dismissed, Gleason and Haley failed to produce any evidence whatsoever and the confidential informant only seemed to exist in Gleason‘s and Haley‘s imagination. Remember, despite the sworn affidavit claiming that illegal drugs were sold out of the residence at 90 Maybrook road in Holland, nobody was arrested and convicted. What the Federal Government has yet to achieve, Gleason and Haley thought they can do. At a cost of about 40 billion dollars per year, the war on drugs does not really work as we all know. It is a tragedy that Gleason and Wettlaufer claim victory because Bunn failed to get justice as he does not have the financial means to pursue his case to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Sadly the Bunn family is not the only victim here, every taxpayer in Holland is forced by Gleason and Wettlaufer to grab the short end of the stick. The deductible for any law suit to be paid by the town of Holland to the liability insurance company is at least $ 10,000. Selectman Wettlaufer and Johnson repeatedly stated that the town has no other option as to defend itself against “frivolous” law suits. What would the reader do different if Gleason‘s reign of terror would struck the reader‘s home? The question remains, how much longer are members of the selectboard and the residents of Holland willing to foot the bill Gleason‘s “accomplishments” create? For a more indebt view into the Bunn case you can click on any link (any bold words in italic) to see corresponding documents. No newspaper can provide this service, an advantage that is one of many of this blog. The initial complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut on June 7th, 2005. The plaintiffs'filed a motion to change venue and the case then was transferred to the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts upon a ruling in plaintiff's favor. The defendant Haley filed a motion to dismiss on February 27, 2008. Judge Michael Ponsor issued a memorandum and order regarding defendant's motion to dismiss on May 23, 2008, granting Haley's motion. The defendants‘ deposed David Bunn during a deposition on April 30, 2008; and Judith Bunn during a deposition on the same day; Cougar Bunn during a deposition on May 1st, 2008; Christena Dodge during a deposition on the same day; Jamie Dodge during a deposition on the same day. The plaintiffs‘ deposed defendant Chief Kevin Gleason during a deposition on May 6th, 2008. Judge Michael A. Ponsor granted defendant Haley‘s motion to dismiss and issued his memorandum and order on May 23, 2008. The plaintiffs‘ deposed Haley Scott during a deposition on May 30, 2008. Plaintiffs‘ filed a motion to reconsider granting the dismissal the complaint as to the defendant Haley. Defendant Gleason filed a motion for summary judgment that prompted plaintiffs‘ to file their memorandum in opposition to the defendants' motion for summary judgment and their statement of facts in dispute in support of their memorandum in opposition to the defendants‘ motion for summary judgment on October 17, 2008. Defendants' Chief Kevin Gleason and Officer Kenneth Fitzgerald filed their motion to strike on November 4, 2008. Peter Frei *********************************************************************** Here is David Bunn‘s own statement: Captain Joint sez,
In the January 2003 issue of High Times I was named Freedom Fighter of the month. In February 2003 I had a letter to the editor printed in a local paper about the Ed Rosenthal case, and put in print that I was a medical marijuana patient. The police used that letter and front page newspaper clippings of the Southbridge / High Times Extra Mart demonstration, along with three fabricated marijuana buys to get a no-knock warrant on my home.
On March 27, 2003 my family home in Holland Mass. was raided by the police. All charges in this raid that were brought against my family were dismissed by the courts.
My case against the police has just been dismissed in court also. I was asking by way of a civil case that a jury take a look at the police work done here. The Town of Holland Mass. did provide lawyers to the defendants, the police, to help cover up their crimes. A Judge has refused me the right to take this case to a jury, and the cost of an appeal and the lawyers I would need to go on is in excess of $15,000.00. I can no longer afford to throw my money into the legal system, so I am putting this case out in as open as a forum as I can find.
I have posted the depositions of Chief Kevin P. Gleason and Agent Scott Haley on my web site at www.captainjoint.com for public viewing.
This will allow the public to judge for themselves the “good police work” that the Town of Holland has credited these fine officers with.
I only ask that the public keep in mind as they read these sworn documents that,
(1) The police could produce no “evidence” of the three marijuana buys they claim came from my family home.
(2) The police could/would not produce the C.I. #62 they claim bought marijuana on the stated dates from my family home to testify in court.
(3) The police claim they have documented sales from me to a C.I. #62, yet I was never charged.
(4) The two sworn depositions from the two officers differ as to what officers were at what documented buys. (This is because these buys never happened and the police should be charged with perjury, both on the affidavit in 2003, as well as again in their sworn depositions of 2008)
(5) Agent Scott Haley claims his C.I. #62 told him I had tubes and stuff sticking out of my arms due to my illness. I had no tubes sticking out of my arms prior to the raid of March 27, 2003. I was in the hospital from March 20, 2003, right through March 25, 2003 when the warrant was signed. I was operated on March 25, and was still inpatient in I.C.U. when my daughter called me in the hospital on March 27, as the house was being raided. Both Chief Kevin P. Gleason and Agent Scott Haley's statements in these sworn depositions are lies/perjury.
I do believe the F.B.I. should look into this case. If there was any “good police work” here I would have been arrested and charged! It is also my claim that one or both of these officers have created false evidence and presented it to the courts during the discovery portion of the trial against my Wife and Daughter. This was done in the form of photocopied money. The court refused the bogus evidence. Creating false evidence is a crime! If these statements from me are considered slander, then please charge me with that crime. Prove I am lying. You can't because I know the truth. These police officers should be brought up on charges, not protected by the town.
David Bunn a/k/a Captain Joint, www.captainjoint.com