STARKS – The annual Harvest Fest celebration, formerly known as Hempstock, resulted in a number of seizures, citations and arrests this weekend, as multiple police agencies descended on the area. Two New Hampshire men, while trying to avoid a roadblock, allegedly led state and local police on a chase through New Sharon and Farmington, reaching speeds as high as 80 mph.
The weekend music festival, sponsored by Maine Vocals, which is described on its Web site as a “Cannabis Action Network for the Re-Legalization of Cannabis, Hemp/Marijuana,” promotes a series of festivals across the state. The Starks “Harvest Fest” usually attracts a police presence.
This year, police typically utilized a “summons and release” program, in which the suspect’s drugs were taken and they were issued a summons, without an arrest.
“Ninety-nine percent were cooperative,” Franklin County Sheriff’s Department’s Lt. Niles Yeaton said. “We only would arrest them if they were being stupid about it.”
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Russell Davidson, 24, of Northwood, N.H., was stopped at a Starks Road roadblock in New Sharon by State Police Trooper Aaron Turcotte at 10:40 a.m. Sunday. Turcotte told Davidson to pull over into a driveway for further questioning.
Instead, Turcotte said Davidson pulled back out of the driveway and began driving toward Farmington. Turcotte immediately gave pursuit, alerting other nearby state police troopers and the Farmington Police Department. Davidson drove 10 miles along Weeks Mills Road and Bailey Hill Road, reportedly getting up to 80 mph, before entering Farmington.
There, police attempted to use spiked mats at the intersection of High and Maple Avenue, but Davidson successfully evaded them and continued on turning off near the McDonalds. He then went up Prescott Street and into the Farmington Municipal Building parking lot where the police department is based. There, police tried to block Davidson’s vehicle off, but he was able to avoid them and head toward New Sharon on the Farmington Falls Road.
Trooper Timothy Marks deployed spiked mats near the town dump and successfully destroyed one of the vehicle’s tires.
“We were able to get one tire at that deployment,” Turcotte said, “and the chase continued back to the Weeks Mills Road.”
There, police were able to stop Davidson’s car with additional spiked mats. He was arrested and charged with eluding a police officer, failing to stop for a roadblock and driving to endanger. After police discovered two pounds of marijuana in the car, he was also charged with trafficking.
The passenger, Tyrus James, 22, of Strafford, N.H., was charged with trafficking as well. Both men were still in the Franklin County Jail as of Monday morning.
Turcotte said that the large number of police officers in the area for Harvest Fest helped end the chase.
“We were pretty fortunate to have so many officers available,” he said. “It helped us successfully and safely handle the incident.”
However, the majority of the Harvest Fest attendees complied with police instructions. Yeaton said that his department is just beginning to catalogue the substances seized. The sheriff’s department is currently testing what they believe may be LSD and opiate-based substances. Marijuana, cash, drug paraphernalia and illegal fireworks were also taken.
Yeaton said that the vast majority of the summons were for furnishing, possession and a few trafficking charges. Most people, he said, were found to have amounts of marijuana consistent with an amount usually used for personal use. Somerset County Sheriff’s Department personnel and State Police were involved. Canine units from the Franklin County department were present as well.
“It was a pretty good detail that was run,” Yeaton said.
