New Bedford Man Arraigned Following Axe Incident and Swifts Beach Assault in Wareham

WAREHAM — A New Bedford man was arraigned in Wareham District Court on Monday, Sept. 21, following a chaotic Saturday morning series of events that began with bystanders being chased with an axe and ended with a violent domestic assault at Swifts Beach.

Shawn Michael Ferguson, 46, faces four charges:

• Assault and battery on a family/household member
• Assault
• Resisting arrest
• Disorderly conduct

He is currently being held without bail pending a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23.

Sequence of Events

According to Wareham Police reports, authorities first responded at approximately 8:32 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, to reports of a man “acting erratically” and chasing bystanders with an axe near the Interstate 195 Wareham Rest Area boat ramp. Officers were unable to locate the suspect immediately.

About 30 minutes later, police received reports of a physical altercation on Swifts Beach Road. Witness Kathleen Fredericksen told police she saw Ferguson punching his girlfriend, 37-year-old Amanda Veara, inside a vehicle while its alarm blared continuously. When Fredericksen shouted at Ferguson, he fled the vehicle onto the beach, approached another woman, Laura Scirocco, and chased her into the water. Scirocco reported that Ferguson charged at her while swearing incoherently.

Police arrived shortly after and arrested Ferguson, noting he was “highly uncooperative, screaming and not making much sense” during transport to the police department.

Injuries and Victim Statements

Veara, who told police she and Ferguson were homeless and living out of their vehicle, sustained fresh injuries including facial bruising, a cut on her cheekbone and forehead, a split lip, and marks along her neckline consistent with being choked. She was transported to Tobey Hospital for treatment.

Defense and Legal Proceedings

During Monday’s arraignment, defense attorney Stephen Dodd asked the judge to order a mental health evaluation, proposing treatment combined with probation and noting that police reports identify Ferguson as a diagnosed schizophrenic.