NORTHAMPTON — A city man is being held on $500 bail Friday for allegedly damaging a vehicle.
Eric Matlock, 34, who address is listed as the streets of Northampton, pleaded not guilty in Northampton District Court to charges of malicious damage to a motor vehicle, carrying a dangerous weapon, assault, disorderly conduct and possession of a Class C drug — butane hash oil.
Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Marie Angers told the judge that on Thursday a group of four people were crossing Pleasant Street when they began to yell at the occupants of a car to watch where they were going and a man, later identified as Matlock, threw an unopened soda can at the car, cracking its windshield.
The driver took photos of the group and showed them to police, who identified the man as Matlock, Angers said. A warrant was issued for his arrest and when police located him Friday in Pulaski Park they said he dropped an item which they said was butane hash oil, according to Angers. She argued for a $500 cash bail to be set in the malicious damage case.
Prosecutors also moved to revoke his bail in a pending Hampshire Superior Court case. First Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Steven Gagne told the judge “at this point, we can’t trust him either to be safe in the community or appear for court.”
Matlock’s attorney, Dana Goldblatt, argued that this was the third time in recent history that Northampton police have implicated Matlock in a disturbance. She added that police have been engaging in “continued harassment” since police maced and physically removed Matlock from the steps of City Hall on Aug. 7, 2017, after receiving multiple reports that he was blocking the front entrance to the building.
Matlock was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer. He pleaded not guilty in Northampton District Court to the charges last month. His arrest raised questions among some about the police department’s use of force, Goldblatt said.
“Getting his bail revoked is a good way for people to plead to charges,” she said. If he were to plead, he wouldn’t be able to sue officers, she added.
Judge W. Michael Goggins set Matlock’s bail for the charges stemming from the alleged Thursday incident at $500 and the drug possession case at $50 bail. He also ruled to revoke Matlock’s bail in a pending superior court case for 60 days.
Matlock’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 12.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.