FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2020, from the Berkshire County District Attorneys office.

The court arraigned Lonnie Durfee, 49, of Dalton on Tuesday on a charge of burning personal property.

The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office requested the court hold Mr. Durfee as a danger to the community. Judge Paul Smyth scheduled a dangerousness hearing for Friday.

“This is a sad reflection of the vast polarization in our country and in the Berkshires. We believe Mr. Durfee destroyed personal property because he disagreed with the property owner’s political views. According to a police report. He burned the sign because he "disagreed with the political stance it represented,"

District Attorney Andrea Harrington said.

"Our community will not accept those types of actions under any circumstances, We will hold Mr. Durfee accountable and I hope the community uses this incident as a rallying cry to reject fervent divisiveness and hate."

The Commonwealth accuses Durfee of using gasoline and motor oil to set fire to hay bales displaying support for the Biden/Harris presidential campaign on Holiday Brook Farm on Friday, October 9, 2020.

Dalton Police, State Police, and the Fire Marshal’s Officer determined someone had intentionally lit the fire and the investigation ultimately led Dalton Police to arrest Mr. Durfee on Saturday morning.

The Dalton Police Department and the Dalton Fire Department responded to a reported fire on Friday 10/9 at 6:42 pm along route 9 in Dalton.accross from the Holiday Brook Farm.  The owners of the Holiday Brook Farm had recently painted the outer wrap of plastic of hay bales to show support for the Biden/Harris Presidential Campaign.

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