YARMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - Six people, five of whom were arrested Wednesday, are facing an array of charges after a Yarmouth police detective was stuck with a used syringe during a heroin bust, officials said.
An officer conducting a traffic stop on Autumn Way about 4 p.m. found a small bag of heroin inside a vehicle, which led them to the home of a wanted man at 12 Amelia Way, according to the Yarmouth Police Department.
Michael Geggatt, 28, was arrested on multiple outstanding warrants when officers entered the home. While inside, police say officers observed in plain view a large amount of drug paraphernalia, syringes, cotton swabs, metal caps used for cooking heroin, and empty corner-cut bags.
During a search of the home, officers found Michael Santos, 29, of West Yarmouth, in the process of using heroin and Timothy Dafinee, 32, of South Yarmouth, sitting on a bedroom floor, according to police. Both men were arrested on heroin possession charges.
Moments later, 31-year-old Euclides Matias, of Roxbury, slammed a door into a detective and stuck him with a used syringe during a scuffle that ensued, according to Yarmouth Police Lt. Mike Bryant. The detective was taken to Cape Cod Hospital to be treated for infectious exposure.
“Physically, I think he’s fine. Mentally, I’ve talked to him a couple of times and I’m not sure,” Bryant said. “As we all know, when you get pricked with a needle, you don’t know what’s on the other end of that needle and who used it.”
As Matias was being searched, police say about 32 grams of heroin fell out of his underwear onto the floor. He was arrested on charges, including assault and battery on a police officer with a dangerous weapon. Matias has 29 prior criminal offenses, according to police.
Zachary Tuers, 29, of South Yarmouth, was arrested on multiple outstanding warrants and Paulina Gontarz, 26, of South Yarmouth, will be summonsed to court on heroin possession charges.
An unspecified quantity of drugs, more than $1,600 in cash and a digital scale were seized from the home.
The incident comes just a few months after Yarmouth Sgt. Sean Gannon was shot and killed while serving a warrant on Blueberry Lane in Marstons Mills. Like Matias, the man behind Gannon’s murder has lengthy record consisting of 111 prior criminal charges, according to police.
Bryant says action needs to be taken to prevent future criminal attacks on officers.
“The system is quite frankly I think broken,” he said. “It needs to be looked at deeper and all parts of it needs to be fixed.
The home where the incident played out was a rental property, police said. City officials plan to review the home’s licensing status.
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