Public safety report: Man tased while resisting arrest for drug charges

A man was tased by Waltham police this week in response to disorderly conduct during an arrest for drug charges.

On Feb. 27, officers responded to the Courtyard Marriott on Winter Street. A man who was renting a room in the hotel wasn’t leaving after his check-out time. Staff observed the man sitting in his car in the parking lot doing activities that they believed to be associated with drug use.

Officers were able to find the man in the parking lot and began to speak to him. While gathering information, the man started to display disorderly behavior. Officers tased the man, after which they were able to safely take him into custody. The man, later identified as Gordon Forbes, 36, of Hyde Park, is being charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs, refusing to identify himself, disorderly conduct, possession of a Class A drug and resisting arrest. According to Patrick Dean, a sergeant and detective at the Waltham Police Department, there is open prosecution of this incident that limits the details that can be shared.

A summary of other police activity from Feb. 25 to March 1 is as follows:

On Feb. 25 at 5:17 p.m., police responded to reports of a larceny at the library. A woman had accidentally left her purse in the bathroom. When she went back to retrieve the purse, she saw a man leaving the bathroom. The woman found her bag open and her phone and some money were missing from it. When police arrived, she pointed out the man she had seen leaving the bathroom to officers. While officers were speaking to him, the woman’s phone began to ring, revealing that the man had it on his person. Police asked the man if he had any money, and the man shared he had money from snow shoveling. It was the same amount of money that the woman said she had in her purse. The man was issued a summons for larceny over $1,200 and will be appearing in court.

On Feb. 26 at 7:35 p.m., police responded to reports of a stolen wallet on Moody Street. A woman said she had lost her wallet in the area of Moody Street and Walnut Street. Soon after, she began getting alerts that her credit card was being used at restaurants and businesses in the area. Police detectives investigated and were able to locate the suspect. The suspect received a summons for two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card.

On March 1 at 10:39 a.m., police responded to reports of a larceny at the Mass General Brigham Healthcare Clinic on Second Avenue. A man believed his wife’s jewelry was stolen from the clinic. Police are still gathering information on the incident.

On March 1 at 4:30 p.m., police responded to Forest Street where a woman alleged a city plow had destroyed some of her property during a snow storm. The woman was instructed to file a claim with City Hall.

On March 1 at 10:54 p.m., police responded to MB Spirits on Market Place Drive. A woman had encountered an older man inside the store who had asked her if she was old enough to be inside a liquor store. The woman informed the man that she was 21. The man then identified himself as a retired police officer and showed her what appeared to be a handgun. Upon speaking to the man, police determined the man was not a retired police officer and that the handgun was a toy. It is believed that the man was going through a mental health incident.

All information was obtained from spokespeople with the Waltham Police and Fire departments, the publicly available police blotter and police reports available at Waltham District Court.