Selectman Jared Chadwick faces refiled endangerment charges in Taunton court
Selectman Jared Chadwick stands in a courtroom on Thursday, July 9, before separate charges from earlier this year were dismissed. Photo by Nick Mossman
Selectman Jared Chadwick stands in a courtroom on Thursday, July 9, before separate charges from earlier this year were dismissed. Photo by Nick Mossman
Wareham Selectman Jared Chadwick is facing two refiled charges in Taunton District Court — one of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14 and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment of a child.
The charges were previously filed in Wareham District Court in March, but were dropped on Thursday, June 25. According to the Plymouth County District Attorney's office, the prosecution opted not to pursue the case because the charges involved incidents that allegedly took place in Taunton, in Bristol County rather than Plymouth County.
Court documents from the Wareham case detailed a videotaped 2022 incident in which Chadwick appeared to drive recklessly with a 10-year-old boy on the hood of his car. According to a Wareham police report, Chadwick accelerated and quickly hit the brakes to knock the boy off the car. The police report alleges that Chadwick struck the boy with his vehicle, "knocking him to the ground" and continued to drive onto the road.
The original report stated that the video appeared to have been recorded at a Wareham address. It is not clear what prompted police or prosecutors to change the case's jurisdiction. Wareham Week has not independently reviewed the video.
Plymouth County prosecutors previously tried to connect the car incident to a set of separate, now-dismissed cases accusing Chadwick of inappropriately touching two minor girls.
In March, Plymouth County prosecutors claimed the vehicle incident was "relevant to the character of Jared Chadwick" and requested a joinder to combine the cases. A judge denied the prosecution's request in March and the Plymouth County prosecution dropped the original endangerment case in June.
Chadwick's arraignment for the refiled case is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13 at 8:30 a.m. in Taunton District Court.
Chadwick said his lawyer advised him not to comment on the case.
The Bristol County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to Wareham Week's request for comment. Chadwick's lawyer, James Merberg, did not immediately respond to Wareham Week's request for comment.
Wareham Week has submitted requests and is awaiting more information from public records from the Taunton District Court.
