Whitman Police Arrest Two Men For Vandalism Spree With BB Gun

WHITMAN (CBS) - Two men are facing multiple charges after police say they shot at a driver with a pellet gun, vandalized several vehicles and left the scene of a crash.

Joseph Shields, 31, of Easton and Kyle Gaven, 23, of Abington were arrested following the incident early Saturday morning.

Shields and Gaven are each charged with nine counts of malicious destruction of property under $1,200; and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a BB gun. Gaven was also charged with driving under the influence of marijuana, failing to stop for a police officer, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in property damage.

Whitman Police responded to the fire station on Temple Street shortly before 1 a.m. for a report that a man had been shot with a pellet gun while driving.

The victim told officers that he had been driving on South Avenue at the intersection of Washington and Temple streets when a dark sedan with two men inside pulled next to him.

The passenger in the vehicle, later identified as Shields, then reached out of the sedan and shot a BB gun toward the victim.

The victim ducked down and began driving away, when a second shot shattered his rear window. The victim stopped at the fire station to report the incident and was treated on-scene by firefighters. He described the suspects as two white males, and indicated that the vehicle turned onto Washington Street as he fled.

Whitman Police dispatch subsequently received reports from residents on Washington Street and Old Colony Way. One caller reported hearing a window smash and saw a black car leaving the scene. A second caller reported that a black sedan pulled into their driveway, struck their vehicle and then fled.

A responding officer then located a black sedan with two men matching the suspects' descriptions in the area of Washington and Commercial streets and attempted to stop the vehicle.

The driver, later identified as Gaven, then sped away and later stopped on Stetson Terrace, where both men were taken into custody without further incident.

Officers then searched the vehicle and located a bb gun, ammunition and CO2 cartridges, and determined that Gaven appeared to be under the influence of marijuana.

After Gaven and Shields were arrested, officers located several vehicles with shattered windows on Old Colony Way, Freedom Lane, Washington Street and Jacobs Lane.

"These individuals caused significant damage to many residents' property, while also assaulting a motorist, at the risk of causing a serious crash," Whitman Police Chief Scott Benton said in a statement. "It's fortunate that nobody was seriously hurt as a result of their conduct, and it was alert and excellent police work that brought this to a safe and successful conclusion."

Gaven was released on $500 bail. Shields was held on $500 bail and transported to the Plymouth County Correctional Facility.

Both are expected to be arraigned Monday in Brockton District Court.