Skateboarding cop goes viral, a dad joke backfires, and a resident makes an unusual animal complaint - The Boston Globe (2025)

On March 15, Framingham police shared a video of an officer riding a skateboard and pulling off a decent trick at the Farm Pond Skatepark on Dudley Road. “Officer Brian Doyle of the evening shift stopped by the Skate Park to show some young bucks how it’s done!” the post said. “Turns out it’s a little harder to do a kick flip with about 30lbs of gear on but frankly, we’re impressed!” Last we checked, the clip has been viewed over 520,000 times on Facebook.

THE DOG DID IT

At 11:02 a.m. March 30, Cohasset police got a call from a guy on Hull Street who reported that “the dog locked him out on the deck,” and he had “no way of getting back in the house or off the deck.” The caller asked if someone could come by and help him out. He said the front door was unlocked, and the dog was friendly. Police responded to the home and were able to let the resident back in his home.

FOOLISH PRANK BY DAD

At 7:09 p.m. April 1 — April Fool’s Day, of course — a man in Hingham called 911 after he put a smoke machine in his daughter’s room as a prank, setting off the fire alarm — and he couldn’t get it to turn off. Although there was no fire or real smoke, he was advised to get himself and his family out of the house, just in case. Fire department personnel were dispatched to help the hapless homeowner, and they confirmed that the alarm was accidental.

BLAME GAME

At 10:47 p.m. April 12, Cambridge police responded to White Street for a report of a disturbance between a tow truck driver and an individual who was getting their car towed from private property for a parking violation. The truck driver and motorist each accused the other of doing some pushing. But the tussle didn’t last long, and they eventually settled down and peace was restored. Police said they both declined medical attention and didn’t wish to pursue criminal charges.

AUTONOMOUS AUTO

On April 8, Acton police received a 911 call from a concerned citizen who reported there was “a vehicle travelling with the wind” on Massachusetts Avenue. The log entry stated that the “vehicle came to a stop, but was obstructing traffic during the call.” Several officers responded to the scene and located the runaway vehicle. It was then corralled into a parking space and the emergency brake was engaged to keep it in place.

UNHAPPY MEAL

At 12:08 a.m. March 13, Bridgewater police received a call from an employee of McDonald’s requesting assistance removing a “displeased patron” who was refusing to leave, even though the restaurant was closing for the night. Once police were called to the scene, however, the situation changed. The responding officer reported that the unhappy customer had gotten upset over the amount of ketchup that was on their burger, and left before police arrived.

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

The Dedham animal control officer recently fielded an interesting inquiry, which they shared on Facebook for all to see on April 9. “A couple of mornings ago, we were asked if there was anything we could do about the worms on someone’s front walk,” the post said. “Well, worms are animals, so that’s a fair question for us!” The good folks at animal control went on to explain how earthworms play an important role in the ecosystem and can help improve soil for plant growth. “What we advised the caller, (aside from the above) was that the only way she can keep the worms off her front walk, is to physically (and gently) move them to her lawn!” the post said. “We also suggested she could try to prevent future worms from appearing on her front walk by addressing potential issues with drainage or moisture that may be building up around her walkway, creating the perfect environment for those little crawls too close for her comfort!”

Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.