A letter Harden’s family sent to Fall River officials on Thursday questions the credibility of the police narrative of the shooting, calling attention to the “extremely suspicious” location of a steak knife Harden allegedly used to try to stab a police officer.
Ben Berke
Based in New Bedford, Ben staffs our South Coast Bureau desk. He covers anything that happens in Fall River, New Bedford, and the surrounding towns, as long as it's a good story. His assignments have taken him to jails, factories, city halls, fishing vessels, bakeries, environmental cleanup sites and the homes of hundreds of interview subjects. Ben joined the bureau in February 2021 after three years in Brockton reporting for The Enterprise. His freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Providence Journal. When he's not working, Ben can often be found near the beach hiking, surfing and collecting the strange things that wash ashore.
Posted inArticle, Criminal Justice, South Coast Bureau
Arrest of Fall River cop raises questions about a fatal police shooting from his past
A family is calling for the re-investigation of a fatal police shooting after the officer involved was recently charged with filing false reports in another case.
Posted inArticle, Politics, South Coast Bureau
New Bristol County sheriff promises data-driven approach to corrections
Democrat Paul Heroux was sworn in Tuesday night after unseating the county’s longtime sheriff in an upset election in November.
Posted inArticle, Business, Environment, South Coast Bureau
Regulators see hard years ahead for the scallop fishery, New Bedford’s cash cow
New England’s fishing regulators set new catch limits on Wednesday that will slash next year’s scallop harvest to less than half of an historic peak experienced just three years ago.
Posted inArticle, South Coast Bureau
Fall River cop indicted for allegedly covering up police beating
The FBI arrested a Fall River police officer on Wednesday for allegedly filing false reports to conceal the beating of a suspect in custody in 2020.
Posted inArticle, Business, Environment, South Coast Bureau
Interview: New Bedford’s port director on balancing fishing and offshore wind
Gordon Carr, the new director of New Bedford’s Port Authority, will be leading the nation’s top fishing port through a period of transition as the offshore wind industry sets up in town. Our South Coast Bureau Reporter Ben Berke sat down with Carr for his first interview since he started the job last month. They talked about the tough decisions Carr will make about who gets precious space in a busy harbor.
Posted inArticle, Business, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Politicians spar over State Pier’s future, as new interests converge on New Bedford’s waterfront
New Bedford’s state legislators are sounding alarms that control over the state-owned pier where ferries to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket dock could be changing hands without their oversight.
Posted inArticle, Politics
Election updates: McKee, Magaziner win key races in Rhode Island
Detailed coverage of the Nov. 8, 2022 general election in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Posted inArticle, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Republican Sheriff Tom Hodgson concedes defeat to Democrat Paul Heroux
In a surprise defeat on election Tuesday, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson lost his seat to Democratic challenger Paul Heroux after a remarkable 25-year-run in office that saw the leader of a midsized county jail in Massachusetts become a national figurehead for his hardline views on immigration and the treatment of inmates.
Posted inArticle, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Allegations fly in final Bristol County sheriff debate
In their last debate before voters head to the polls on Nov. 8, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson and his challenger Paul Heroux traded a series of serious allegations about recent misconduct in each candidate’s respective public office.
