Former Taunton brigadier in trouble after alleged attacks on relative and journalists

Yellow police line,

A Taunton crossing guard accused of attacking a relative with a hand-held stop sign before allegedly assaulting reporters outside of court has been ordered held on $250 bail.

If assigned, Louis F. Chaves, 68, must undergo a mental health evaluation and meet other conditions prerequisite to his release, a Taunton District Court judge ruled Tuesday.

Chaves' appearance Tuesday came after he allegedly got into a physical altercation with reporters outside the courthouse Monday afternoon who were covering the crossing guard's arraignment in connection with the alleged attack on a parent outside from a school in the morning.

Two journalists were among those who tried to interview Chaves as he left the courthouse, but Chaves allegedly charged at one of them and began kicking him, according to police and video footage from the stations. local television stations. Chaves then punched the other reporter and threw a branch at him, police said.

Chaves, who is no longer employed in the Taunton School District, faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon with a shod foot, and battery with a dangerous weapon with a stick /branch, in connection with the alleged attack against the journalist.

A judge released Chaves Monday on personal recognizance in connection with the previous attack on the relative, but the judge warned that if Chaves was arrested again, he would be placed in prison.

Chaves' chaotic day with law enforcement began around 7:30 a.m. Monday, when a mother had to sneeze while walking her children past Taunton High School, according to a police report.

The mother stopped her car in the middle of the intersection while looking for a tissue to blow her nose, but Chaves didn't like it when he approached the passenger side window and yelled at her to continue driving, the police report states. .

The driver yelled at Chaves for yelling at him in front of his children, police wrote.

“At that point the crossing guard put his stop sign stick through the passenger window and started swinging it (swinging) around calling her a (expletive) and she has to take the (expletive) out from here,” police wrote. “It should be noted that while Louis was brandishing the stop sign stick in the vehicle, he struck (the driver’s) daughter…in the arm.”

This prompted the mother to get out of her car and approach the crossing guard, which further agitated Chaves who allegedly “started attacking her with a stop stick” before pushing her to the ground.

The mother accused Chaves of dragging and kicking her. She told WPRI 12 News in Rhode Island that “I was left with a bump on my head, a bruise on the side of my face and a cut on my wrist. I don't know what made him break down and act the way he did… He just didn't seem to be of sound mind at the time.

It didn't take long for the Taunton school district to take action against Chaves, firing him within hours of the incident with the mother, an official said in a statement.

“As a result of this incident, the crossing guard has been terminated, effective immediately, and is no longer an employee of Taunton Public Schools,” officials said.