SOMERSET — A 32-year-old Somerset convicted felon who violated his probation several times and has been eluding police for the past seven months was arrested in Connecticut. The man is now being detained without bail as a probation violation matter moves forward and new criminal charges have been lodged against him.

After a trial in Fall River Superior Court in June 2012, James Coyle was convicted for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun, operating a motor vehicle to endanger, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and leaving the scene of property damage. Police reported that Coyle had pulled the shotgun on his mother and step-father, then drove over their lawn and was later pulled over by police for speeding. When he was arrested, police found the illegal shotgun in his vehicle. The defendant also kicked out a window of a police cruiser during his arrest.

Coyle was sentenced to a four to six-year state prison term, to be followed by five years of supervised probation. After being released from prison in 2017, he began violating the terms of his probation by missing appointments with his probation officer and testing positive for alcohol, amphetamines. The Probation Department lost all contact with Mr. Coyle in March 2018 and initiated probation surrender proceedings against him.

On March 26th, Somerset Police responded to a Chace Street address based on a call from a concerned neighbor stating that the defendant was screaming at his grandmother in the front yard. During the dispute, the defendant entered a large Ford commercial pickup truck and proceeded to back into the other two vehicles in the yard. He then allegedly pulled forward and intentionally backed into the vehicles again. Both vehicles were damaged.

After months of investigation to attempt to locate the defendant and bring him back into custody, Massachusetts State Police Troopers assigned to the district attorney’s office were able to locate him in Connecticut. With the assistance of Connecticut state and local police, the defendant was arrested early this month on the outstanding warrants from Massachusetts.

Coyle was ordered held without bail in Fall River Superior Court. He is now officially facing charges related to the two separate March incidents in March. Those charges are assault, threat to commit a crime, leaving the scene of property damage, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, malicious damage to a motor vehicle, disturbing the peace and vandalizing property.

Bristol County District Attorney's Office

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