Updated April 30
Tisbury Police have identified, located, and charged the suspect involved in an alleged assault and battery that took place inside Stop & Shop at approximately 4:50 pm Wednesday. Police believe the alleged attack was partially motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation, Police Chief Mark Saloio told The Times.
Mark Faulkingham, 56, no permanent address, pleaded not guilty Friday in Edgartown District Court to charges of assault and battery for the purpose of intimidation, and property damage for the purpose of intimidation, both of which are felonies. He is also being charged with assault and battery, and malicious destruction of property. Bail was set at $200.
New details of the case emerged Tuesday with the release of the police report. According to police, the victim was approached by a “tall, bald, white male with a backpack” who demanded the victim give back a phone, saying it was stolen.
Faulkingham was repeatedly quoted in the report as using a derogatory word referring to the victim’s sexuality.
The report says Faulkingham struck the victim in the jaw with his elbow before stomping on his glasses, which fell to the floor.
After the assault, the victim asked a Stop & Shop employee to call 911. An assistant manager told him to walk across the parking lot to the police department if he wanted the police to respond. “If you want the police, you can go get them and bring them here,” the assistant manager allegedly told the man, according to the report.
Police weren’t at the station because it was after hours, according to the report. They were alerted to the altercation by a woman who called 911 and met the victim on Main Street before taking him to the hospital.
On the police department’s Facebook page, a bulletin was posted with a picture of Faulkingham, who had not yet been identified, and a general broadcast was sent out to locate him. The screenshots were taken as the man checked out at Stop & Shop.
According to Chief Mark Saloio, Faulkingham contacted the police station Thursday afternoon after he learned that officers were searching for him. Faulkingham agreed to be interviewed at the station by officers Pierce Harrer and Charlie Duquette.
Faulkingham allegedly admitted to the assault, and also admitted to stepping on the other man’s glasses, Saloio said. “There was clearly a verbal dispute between both parties that led to illegal physical contact,” Saloio said.
Faulkingham told police his friend had recently had a cellphone stolen from him, and he believed the victim was the one who took it, accusing the victim of talking about “nude photographs” on the cellphone. Faulkingham did not know his friend’s name or the victim’s name, according to the report.
An updated bulletin was posted on the Tisbury Police Facebook page notifying the public that the suspect has been identified and located.
According to Saloio, the victim was treated at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for minor injuries resulting from the altercation.
Updated with new details from police report – Ed.
It might help to make the photos clickable so they can be enlarged and actually be seen? Maybe?
b4jaws —I was thinking the same thing
Oh, THOSE pictures. Didn’t see them before, they were … too small.
Facebook says they got the guy.
What’s the over/under for the Times updating the story? July 20th?
The story was just updated within minutes of getting the information from police.
He admitted to it and then plead not guilty??
This happens all the time. Essentially, defendants make the prosecution prove the case against them or at some point in the process a plea agreement is reached.
So, possibly a hate crime?
Or maybe the police intimidated the suspect into admitting something he did not do? As we all know, Police around here are not beyond reproach.
Ever consider this factor?
Um. No.
James–It seems like it’s kind of hard for you to imagine that there are people out there that use violence as a way to express their dislike for people who do not have the “conventional” sexual orientation.
Making an unsubstantiated insinuation that the police may have coerced him into admitting something is pretty ludicrous. I suppose you think the whole thing is “fake news” ?
Outrageous that the assistent manager of S&S refused to call 911 and told the victim to walk to the police station–
I agree – if the incident happened in the store the assistant manager should have called the police without the victim asking him/her to do so. And “the police weren’t at the station because it was after hours…” <— seriously???
OMG, I agree w Jackie
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