Paul J. Donovan Cleared of Wrongful Arrest-July 9, 1981

The case, which Donovan’s attorney Kevin Hampe described as a situation where the prosecution “didn’t have a case,” centered on a sequence of events that began on June 4, 1981. On that day, a customer, Kathy Sola of 64 Jefferson Drive, had contacted Donovan to ask for assistance in locating her son’s bicycle, which had been stolen from in front of the Norwood Sports Center. Donovan, a Medfield resident who had lived in Norwood for 24 years and a former physical education teacher in Westwood, agreed to keep an eye out for the missing bike.

By chance, within minutes of the request, Donovan discovered a bicycle on the grass near his shop that matched the description provided by Mrs. Sola. He immediately brought the bicycle into his shop for safekeeping and telephoned Mrs. Sola to share the good news. However, moments after he set the bike down, Norwood Police Detective Michael Broyer arrived at the shop and placed Donovan under arrest, charging him with receiving stolen property. Despite Donovan’s insistence that the police verify his story—and Mrs. Sola’s subsequent efforts to explain that she had personally requested his help—Detective Broyer reportedly dismissed the explanation as irrelevant. Donovan spent time in jail before being bailed out by a friend, a Norwood police officer.

The charges were dropped after a more comprehensive investigation by the Norwood Police Department—and the eventual apprehension of a 16-year-old former employee of the Bicycle Depot—revealed that Donovan had no involvement in the theft. Assistant District Attorney Robert George stated yesterday that “the interests of justice would not be served with the continued prosecution of Mr. Donovan.” While Donovan expressed relief that the ordeal is over, he acknowledged the personal toll the arrest had taken, noting, “I had to walk around for a month watching people looking funny at me.” Mrs. Sola, who remained a staunch supporter of the shop owner throughout the investigation, expressed her regret over the incident, stating, “If I hadn’t called him and asked for a favor, he never would have been arrested.” Despite the professional and personal stress caused by the wrongful arrest, Donovan has stated he has no intention of filing a lawsuit, preferring to move forward and put the experience behind him.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger