By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the Dunkin’ Donuts location on Somerville Ave. last Thursday on reports of an unwanted vehicle in their parking lot.

Upon arrival, the officers found a motor home parked sideways taking up four spots in the parking lot with the left front tire off the rim.

Inside the vehicle, the officers located two individuals, Candall Smith and Damion Kirksey, who they had spoken to earlier in the day.

On their first interaction with the pair, the store manager had called for a tow truck and both Kirksey and Smith reportedly refused to get out of the vehicle.

While on scene, the officers were able to speak with the store manager and convinced her to give Kirksey more time to fix the tire on the motor home.

Kirksey was advised that if he was still in the parking lot and the police were called again then his vehicle would be towed.

During the second incident, both parties also refused to get out the vehicle after a tow truck was called to tow the vehicle away.

The officers repeatedly tried to speak with Kirksey and Smith in order to come up with a solution in order to not tow the vehicle. However, both parties refused to get out of the vehicle or open the door. At one point, Smith started the vehicle and revved the engine a few times before turning it off.

While continuing to come up with a solution to tow the vehicle, both parties rolled the window up and refused to speak with officers.

The officers advised Kirksey and Smith that they were trespassing and ordered both parties to step out the vehicle, and that they were under arrest. At this time Smith reportedly stated, “You are not taking my vehicle.” She started the vehicle again and started revving the engine.

The, with the left front tire off the rim, Smith put the motor home in drive and started driving away, almost striking a bicyclist and vehicles that were stopped on Somerville Ave at the intersection of Somerville Ave and Prospect St.

Due to heavy traffic in the area, the condition, and size of the vehicle, officers tried stopping the vehicle with their emergency lights and sirens activated. However, Smith continued driving away before coming to a stop at a Washington St. gas station.

According to reports, before the vehicle came to a stop, Smith made a sharp left turn, cutting off two lanes of traffic.

While at the gas station, both Kirksey and Smith refused to open the doors to the motor home as officers ordered them out the vehicle in a loud and clear voice.

Officers had to break both front windows and physically remove both parties. While outside the vehicle, Smith had her dog in her hand and refused to let it go. In the process, she choked the dog with one of her hands wrapped in and around its collar. After getting the dog away from Smith, she was placed in handcuffs.

Smith was placed under arrest on charges of animal cruelty, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, trespassing and resisting arrest, and on a warrant charge of receiving a stolen motor vehicle.

Kirksey was placed under arrest on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest.

Both Kirksey and Smith were transported to the Somerville Police Department to be booked and fingerprinted.

While conducting a damage and inventory of the motor home, it was determined that it was filled with trash and dog feces, both in the front and in the back of the motor home.