New Bedford police officers face two serious crimes charges

NEW BEDFORD – A city police officer was charged last week with two felony counts for allegedly aiding and abetting a domestic violence incident involving a man she was dating.

Officer Imari Soares, 29, was placed on leave last week and is charged with two serious crimes, according to court records: aiding and abetting, misleading police and obstructing or interfering with a criminal investigation.

On June 15, Randolph man Shay Gibbons allegedly threatened his ex-girlfriend with a firearm and forced his way into her New Bedford apartment around 10:30 p.m. to retrieve his shotgun, according to a dispatch statement and police records.

Gibbons, 33, told police he then left his ex’s apartment in a car owned by Soares and met with the officer on duty about a mile away. During that meeting, Soares took his gun and placed it in its holster in her backpack. It was loaded and had only one round in the barrel, a police report said.

Soares reportedly only revealed this when her superiors questioned her. At the request of a superior, Soares then called Gibbons and persuaded him to turn himself in at the police station, which he did around midnight.

“Officer Soares assisted Mr. Gibbons by meeting with him, taking possession of the firearm, and attempting to conceal its location,” the criminal complaint states. “Officer Soares continued to provide false information during conversations with supervising officers.”

In domestic incidents, more severe penalties apply if the perpetrator is armed or displays a weapon.

The police report states that Soares told police that Gibbons was on the ex-girlfriend’s lease and had a key to the apartment, but Gibbons himself stated that he was not on the lease and did not have a key. “This false information may have affected the charges or the direction of the investigation,” the report of Soares’ statement states.

Soares did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

When questioned, Soares said she took Gibbons’ gun because she was “only trying to prevent the incident from escalating further,” the report said, and she was “unaware of the seriousness of the allegations.”

However, the circumstances are clear from the radio message in which Soares participated: According to the tape recording, Gibbons allegedly threatened his ex-girlfriend with his firearm, entered her apartment and fled the scene in a vehicle with Soares’ license plate and badge.

Soares, identified as Unit 32, radioed Unit 33 – Officer Tyler Viera – twice to call her on her cellphone while she and other officers searched city streets for Gibbons in the vehicle.

According to police reports, Viera did not call Soares on his private cell phone.

According to the dispatch center, Gibbons had a black rifle in the vehicle, the weapon he had taken from his ex-girlfriend’s apartment. Soares said over the radio that he had a gun permit: “I know it.”

Police Chief Paul Oliveira had no comment, and Deputy Chief Scott Carola stated that the chief does not comment on ongoing personnel matters. Carola did not confirm whether Soares’ leave is paid or unpaid.

Gibbons was charged with armed burglary, assault with a dangerous weapon, improper storage of a firearm and assault on a household member. He was arraigned last week and pleaded not guilty.

He told police he did not use his firearm to threaten his ex-girlfriend, but the gun did weigh down his sweatpants, causing him to grab his waistband to adjust his pants. He also claims his ex-girlfriend began to attack him; police said he had no visible injuries.

Gibbons did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He told police he and Soares had been dating for about two months.

In another domestic incident on May 1, police alleged that New Bedford police officer Robinson Ubri, whom Soares was dating at one point, shoved her and forced his way into her apartment. Ubri was charged with burglary, assault and a felony count of improper storage of his firearm. Ubri was subsequently placed on administrative leave and the state POST Commission suspended his license to practice. His case is pending.

Soares has a firearm-related disciplinary history dating back to a December 2022 incident after he visited a downtown New Bedford bar while off duty.

“Officer Soares acted irresponsibly with her department-issued firearm,” the department’s investigator wrote. She “took her service weapon (redacted) to a bar and at some point” it was in the possession of an individual who did not have a firearm license.

According to the report, Soares kept the magazine in a separate part of her handbag. She also confirmed that she had smashed a glass window near the bar with her fist that evening.

The complaint against her was upheld because the authority concluded that she had neglected her duty and behaved in a manner that was “endangering the public peace and welfare” and “unworthy of an officer.”

Soares is scheduled to be arraigned in New Bedford District Court next month.

Email Anastasia E. Lennon at [email protected].