Suspect in attack on officer tells court he has COVID-19
Apr. 6—NEWBURYPORT — Newburyport District Court employees were forced to sanitize sections of the State Street complex Monday after an Amesbury man being arraigned there for allegedly taking a swing at a police officer told a court officer he had COVID-19.
Jeffrey Parks, 29, was arrested Sunday about 6:30 p.m. outside the Fairfield Inn hotel off Clarks Road but not before escaping the grasp of Amesbury police Officer Thomas Nichols and then throwing a punch at him, according to court records.
In addition to assault and battery of a police officer, Parks was charged with assault and resisting arrest.
Parks' arrest came nine days after he was arrested by Amesbury police for allegedly bloodying a man during a scuffle at a Birchwood Court apartment. At the time of last week's assault and battery charge, Parks was awaiting trial for possession of a Class B substance out of Lawrence District Court.
During Parks' arraignment on the assault and battery charge in Newburyport District Court, Judge Allen Swan ordered him held on $750 cash bail but denied an Essex County prosecutor's motion to revoke his release on the Lawrence District Court charge.
Parks appeared before Swan again during his arraignment on the latest charges. The judge ordered that Parks be held on $2,500 cash bail and then revoked his release for being charged with new crimes while awaiting trial.
Just before Parks was to be brought back into his holding cell, he told his attorney that he had COVID-19. The attorney then told Swan that his client was infected with the potentially fatal virus. That prompted the head court officer to tell Swan that she had no idea and would not have brought Parks into the courtroom had she known.
As the remaining handful of cases in the morning session were called, a court employee scrubbed Parks' holding cell. Court operations were then moved to a different courtroom so employees could continue disinfecting everywhere Parks had been that morning.
Head clerk Kerrin Costello was overheard telling Swan that after making some calls to state officials, it was unlikely the courthouse would have to be closed Tuesday.
The Fairfield Inn staff called police after finding evidence of drug use in one of the rooms, according to Nichols' report.
After finishing his business at the hotel, the officer spotted Parks sitting underneath a tree close by and noticed he matched the description of the person seen renting the room in question.
Soon after Nichols began questioning Parks, the officer learned that Lawrence District Court had issued a warrant for his arrest for the possession of a Class B substance charge.
Told he was to be arrested, Parks resisted Nichols to the point where he swung around and threw a punch at the officer. Nichols was able to avoid the blow. At one point, Parks broke from Nichols' grip and began running sway.
Nichols, with the aid of Officer Samuel Marlar, was able to subdue Parks briefly. But as Parks continued to ignore commands, Nichols, the department's K-9 officer, warned he would release Achilles. Parks continued to struggle prompting Nichols to send the dog.
The 8-year-old German Shepherd gained ahold of Parks from behind for about three seconds before "Parks yelled OK! OK! OK! Parks stopped resisting and became compliant," Nichols wrote in his report.
Parks, who was to be tested for COVID-19, is due back in court May 6 for the new charges and the older one.
Dave Rogers is a staff writer with The Daily News. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.
