Man Charged With 5th DUI, Hit's Officer's Car And Threatens Woman's Life.

Newburyport native Michael Lieber was arrested in Salisbury after not only hitting a police officer's car, but threatening to kill a woman.

Lieber's drunken rampage started out at the Beach Cove Cabins in Salisbury where he allegedly left the scene after striking a retaining wall. He then failed to stop at an intersection which led to him hitting a vehicle which happened to be an off duty Newburyport  police officer about 15 minutes after the first incident.

Michael Lieber, 53

According to Salisbury police Chief Tom Fowler, the incidents with Lieber unfolded quickly, beginning about 6 p.m., when the station received a call from Beach Cove Cabins. According to Fowler, Lieber and a female companion had pulled into Beach Cove Cabins requesting a room.

“The proprietor refused to give him the room” Fowler said. “And when (Lieber) was going, he struck a retaining wall, but didn’t stop at the scene."

After getting calls which connected the two incidents to the same person, several officers headed to the address where Lieber was said to be. In his report, Salisbury Sgt. Eugene Scione said he found Lieber so intoxicated, the smell of alcohol was “overwhelming,” he “swayed in a circular motion” when he stood, and his speech was so slurred “he was almost completely unintelligible.”


It was after being arrested and handcuffed, and while being escorted to the cruiser by officer James Leavitt, that Lieber threatened his female companion’s life as he walked past her, Scione wrote.

“He mumbled something to the effect, ‘When I get out, you (expletive), I’m going to find you and (expletive) kill you,’” Scione wrote. “Officer Leavitt then stated to (Lieber), ‘You shouldn’t threaten to kill someone in front of a police officer.’”


Later whie Lieber was booked at the station, he stood up to relieve himself at the urinal, but due to his extreme state of inebriation, he lost his balance and fell backwards, knocking himself out. He then had to be taken to the hospital where an officer had to 'babysit' him all night until his hearing in the morning.

Prosecutors immediately filed a motion with the court for a dangerousness hearing, believing Lieber should be held without bail until his trial because he is too much of a danger to be allowed out on jail. The judge agreed. 

People like this should be locked up for good.


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