A crossing guard in Taunton, Massachusetts, was arrested and terminated Monday after he allegedly physically assaulted a mom on high school grounds.
Taunton Public Schools said in a statement to NBC10 Boston that they are aware of the physical altercation that occurred on June 3 involving the crossing guard. The crossing guard was terminated, effective immediately, and is no longer an employee of Taunton Public Schools, the district added.
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Taunton police confirmed they are investigating the incident and said officers responded around 7:30 a.m. to Taunton High School, located at 50 Williams Street, for a report of a disturbance involving a Taunton School District crossing guard and occupants of a motor vehicle.
As a result of their on-scene investigation, police say the crossing guard, identified as 68-year-old Louis Chaves, of Taunton, was arrested. He was arraigned hours later in Taunton District Court on three counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon.
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Prosecutors said in court that the incident happened in the roadway at Taunton High School, and that the victim told police that Chaves "beat me with a stop sign stick."
Chaves's son-in-law tells NBC10 Boston that an assault would be completely out of character for him.
“His story is nothing close to what’s being reported,” he said. “This man has been a crossing guard at the school for years, he’s never had a single issue whatsoever, he says hi to every kid that goes by, he never has problems with people and you know the public now, they’re not always that friendly.”
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Investigators say the alleged victim was shaking and crying hysterically when officers arrived on the scene. And it all began with a sneeze.
“She stated she was going through the intersection when she had to sneeze,” said Assistant Bristol District Attorney Brandon Ferris. “As she sneezed she stopped the vehicle because she needed a tissue to blow her nose.”
The woman, who had stopped in the middle of the intersection with her daughter in the car, told police Chaves yelled at her to keep driving, so she yelled back.
“The crossing guard then put the stop sign stick through the passenger window and started swinging it all around the car,” said Ferris. “Calling her names and told her that she needs to get out of there.”
As Chaves was allegedly swinging the stop sign stick in the vehicle, it struck the victim's young daughter in the arm. The girl told police that Chaves was trying to hit her mother, according to prosecutors.
When the woman got out of her car to confront Chaves for hitting her daughter with the sign, he allegedly then attacked her with the stop sign stick and threw her to the ground, kicking her and dragging her.
She was found with multiple lacerations and abrasions, according to prosecutors. One of her flip flops was in the middle of the roadway.
“I’m not too sure what went down with this woman,” said the crossing guard’s son-in-law. “I can tell you a lot of people don’t like to stop at that intersection, they get very impatient, and I just find it a little odd that somebody is going to stop in the middle of the intersection to blow their nose.”
People who live in the area say it can be a very busy stretch of roadway that can test people’s patience.
“Fairly hectic, they’re trying to move a lot of people in and out in a short period of time but I’ve never seen anything really bad happen, but there’s traffic there’s congestion,” Kelley Freeman said.
Chaves was getting a court-appointed attorney and is due back in court on Aug. 8 for a pretrial hearing in that case. He was also ordered to stay away from the victim.
After his arraignment Monday, Chaves allegedly went after a couple of news photographers outside of court. The district attorney tells NBC10 Boston that Chaves was arrested again Monday night for that incident, and he'll be arraigned on charges stemming from that on Tuesday.
