By Jim Clark

Somerville police conducted a selective enforcement operation last week aimed at spotting motor vehicle operators who were distracted while driving.

One officer was stationed at the upper parking lot of the Police Station, acting as a spotter. Another officer maintained a position at the corner of Merriam and Washington Street, where motorists in violation could be pulled over.

At one point, the spotting officer radioed that a school bus driver was seen using a cell phone while driving.

The driver, later identified as Marise Pierre, was signaled to pull over to the side of the road.

While doing this, the officer reportedly observed Pierre putting down what appeared to be a cell phone with her right hand, toward the center console area.

The officer approached the operator and requested her license and registration and the defendant reportedly asked, “Can I pull up way over there?” pointing to an area near the Jiffy Lube. The officer told her that she could not, as there was sufficient room for vehicles to get by despite the bus not being completely pulled into the parking area.

The officer returned to his cruiser and wrote a citation for the infraction. When the officer returned with the citation Pierre reportedly stated that she used to babysit his children. The officer continued issuing the citation and Pierre reportedly stated, “I don’t have a phone”.

After issuing the citation, Pierre put her head out the bus window and began shouting obscenities at the officer, according to reports.

The officer had stopped traffic and was standing in the roadway about 3/4 of the way to the rear of the bus and told Pierre “You need to pull out.”

Pierre reportedly continued her verbal assault and the officer again told her to move her bus. Pierre reportedly continued her shouting until the officer stated, “Ma’am, if you do not stop shouting and move your vehicle I will arrest you”.

Traffic was stopped at this point and people on the opposite side of the street began to look on. Pierre started to pull out, still shouting and never checked her other mirror and continued looking in the officer’s direction. The bus scraped the left side of a vehicle, legally parked on Washington Street.

The officer shouted to Pierre and she put the bus in reverse and within a few seconds had the bus pulled ahead and stopped.

The officer started writing up an accident data form to give out to both parties. The spotting officer arrived on the scene as Pierre exited the bus and came out into the street shouting obscenities, police said.

Pierre was asked to get on the sidewalk and she reportedly continued to hurl obscenities and once again said that she used to watch one of the officer’s kids.

The spotting officer then told Pierre to step onto the sidewalk before a car struck her., but she reportedly continued to argue and needed to be told two more times before she finally went onto the sidewalk.

Pierre reportedly continued to point and shout at the officer as he continued filling out the accident data form.

According to reports, Pierre once more went back out onto the street towards the police cruiser’s driver’s side door and she was immediately told that she needed to get onto the sidewalk and that would not be told again.

Pierre reportedly repeated her claim that she did not have a phone and questioned whether or not she would be arrested as she walked toward the sidewalk.

As the officer began explaining the accident data form and instructing Pierre on what she was required to do, she reportedly continued hurling obscenities at the officers and that she knows one of the officer’s children.

According to reports, Pierre would walk a few steps, stop and turn, then continue shouting obscenities. The officer stated that he would arrest her if she did not stop, but she reportedly continued shouting.

According to the officers’ report, Pierre had traffic and many onlookers across the street stopped, observing her behavior.

The officers then approached Pierre to place her in custody, but she pulled her arm away and twisted her body against a fence so that access to her arms could not be gained.

Pierre was told by police that she was under arrest, but she reportedly continued to curse and resist arrest.

The two officers eventually managed to put Pierre into custody after a brief struggle. From there, she was walked to the police station where she was booked on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.