A longtime FBI agent was arrested on charges that he sped his truck toward a group of kids making fun of him

• A retired FBI agent drove his truck at a group of middle school children who were taunting him, police say.
• Cliff Hedges, 61, was arrested on four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
• Hedges had been named public safety director for a regional New England fair. Before that, he led a decorated career at the bureau, having investigated corrupt government officials and biker gangs.

A group of rowdy children was antagonizing a retired FBI special agent in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, last month.

Instead of ignoring the middle school students, who police say were flipping Cliff Hedges off and swearing while he was driving in a parking lot, Hedges made a U-turn and sped his truck in their direction, Masslive's Stephanie Barry reported.

While doing so, Hedges, 61, drove over a sidewalk and struck a fence, police wrote in a report of the June 2 incident.

"It was reported the driver of a white truck had driven over the curbing of the sidewalk and nearly struck a group of children on their bicycles," the report viewed by MassLive said.

When police visited Hedges at his home, he politely told him that the group of kids had antagonized him and was appeared shocked that he was being arrested, Masslive reported.

"He stated there were a group of kids on bicycles stopped in the driveway, and they were flipping him off and told him to 'f--- himself,'" police wrote in the report. "Hedges then said he next turned his vehicle around to leave and the kids were still yelling at him. Hedges then said he "flipped a u-turn, and, at that time, drove up over the sidewalk and struck the fence at Russell Field."

Hedges led a celebrated 26-year career at the FBI's Springfield, Massachusetts, office, where he investigated dangerous biker gangs and government corruption at the local and state level.

After retiring, he was named the director of public safety at Eastern States Exposition, the regional New England fair known as "The Big E."

On June 2, though, he let the four boys' foul language get the best of him, police say.

"Hedges said he was upset and began to yell at the children. He admitted to leaving the scene and returning home prior to our arrival," the police report, viewed by Masslive, said.

He was arrested on four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and one count of negligent operation of a motor vehicle, Barry reported. He is scheduled to be arraigned on July 28.

"Hedges stated he could not believe this was happening," the report said. "He asked what happens now and I explained he would be booked at our station."

Hedges' attorney declined to comment to Masslive.

Read the original story on Masslive »»

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