Shirley Police Chief Thomas Goulden said Thursday the interaction between a woman and a man who offered her water Tuesday morning was an innocent act, and that the man simply wanted to help the runner on a hot summer’s day.
In a statement, police said they have interviewed the runner and the man, who was driving a green van when he stopped on Hazen Road to offer her a bottle of water. That had led to increased police patrols following the murder of Vanessa Marcotte in Princeton Aug. 7.
“The investigation confirms that the operator did make contact with the jogger and did offer her a bottle of water because she appeared to be dehydrated from running on a warm day,’’ Goulden said.
In his interview with police, the man said he “did not know that he had caused fear in the female jogger and was very apologetic that this act of kindness turned into a news story.’’
Goulden said he met with both the jogger and the driver Thursday.
“This case has been resolved to both parties liking,’’ he said.
Goulden urged the public to continue to contact police whenever they see activity they consider to be suspicious so officers can investigate it.
Earlier Thursday, Goulden told the Globe that while it was important to keep the public informed, he didn’t want to create unnecessary panic.
Goulden said he was concerned that the woman’s account appeared to have been changed while being shared on social media, after her post was shared by friends and other residents. In the process, parts of the post appear to have been altered and some details did not match what the woman had told police, Goulden said.
The woman called police Tuesday after she said a man approached her in a green van while she was jogging alone near Hazen Road, police said.
The man asked her if she wanted water, she told police.
A version of the social media post was posted as a comment on the Shirley police department’s Facebook page. The person purporting to be the victim wrote that the van “was headed directly toward me as I was running ... so much that I had to jump into the poison ivy ditch.”
The driver tried to continue talking with her but she ran away, the post stated.
“I just felt complete fear and panic and I started running,” the post said. “Like Usain Bolt running.”
Dylan McGuinness can be reached at dylan.mcguinness@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DylMcGuinness.
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