Bristol County Sheriff Hodgson claps back concerning criticism levied against him on handling of Adam Howe

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson has clapped back concerning criticism levied against him on how his office handled Adam Howe.

According to SouthCoast Today, James Pingeon, litigation director for Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts, said that the level of supervision taken by the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office at the Ash Street Jail concerning Howe was inadequate.

“This is a man who clearly was in a very vulnerable position. The main problem with what they did was the 15-minute watch. He should have been on constant observation, which is the standard practice for people on mental health watch. There are different levels of supervision. Constant observation is one that is used routinely. In my opinion, it should have been done in his case.”

Hodgson issued a statement Friday disputing Pingeon’s allegations.

“Mr. Pingeon should be ashamed of himself for these reckless accusations against the law enforcement professionals at the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Howe underwent a psychiatric evaluation at Cape Cod Hospital and was cleared for custody by the hospital’s health care professionals. Had Mr. Howe been brought to our jail without medical clearance by the hospital, he would have been either brought to the Crisis Center at Children and Family Services in New Bedford – a 24-hour facility for emergency mental health services with on-site and on-call psychiatrist and master’s level clinicians – or put on a mental health watch in our jail with constant observation. Mr. Pingeon should direct his reckless hindsight opinions to Cape Cod Hospital, which performed his psychiatric evaluation and cleared him.

“Monday morning quarterbacking this tragedy is not only shameful, but a disgrace to a family that has been through terrible circumstances. It is grossly unfair to my staff members who followed standard operating procedures that have merited national accreditation from the American Corrections Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.”

Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe and Truro Police Chief Jamie Calise announced Saturday that as a result of a request for a well-being check and a separate report of a fire, emergency personnel responded to a location in Truro at approximately 9:30 p.m. Friday night.

Upon arrival, responders encountered a man outside of the house and a fire on the front lawn. As the emergency personnel realized that it was a body that was burning, the man ran into the house and locked the door. The Cape Cod Regional SWAT Team responded and ultimately made entry into the home placing the man into custody.

The suspect, 34-year-old Howe, was subsequently charged with the murder of 70-year-old Susan Howe, Howe’s mother.

Gregg Miliote of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office stated that correctional officers at the jail found Howe unresponsive to verbal and physical checks at 3:04 p.m. Sunday. New Bedford EMS was immediately contacted, while three correctional officers and two correctional nurses performed CPR on Howe. He was rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 3:37 p.m. of suicide.

Miliote stated that Howe was alone in his cell in an isolated unit at the time of the incident and was wearing inmate clothing specifically designed for at risk prisoners.

An autopsy is also being conducted.