NASHUA – While it’s fair to paint former Merrimack ambulance service employee Corey Godinez “a disgruntled employee (who was) vocal about what he was disgruntled about,” his alleged comments about shooting up the business and “taking out” coworkers amounted to empty threats he never intended to carry out, his lawyer said Tuesday.

“There is nothing in the police reports about (Godinez making) overt threats … the quotes are paraphrased,” attorney Ray Raimo told the court during Godinez’s bail hearing in Hillsborough County Superior Court-South.

Godinez, 29, of 34 Redfield Circle, Derry, is facing several charges accusing him of threatening to shoot people at LifeLine Ambulance in Merrimack, where he had worked for roughly a year as a wheelchair transport vehicle operator before being terminated Friday.

The charges include one count each of attempted first-degree assault, attempted second-degree assault, and criminal threatening, all felonies, along with one count each of harassment and loitering or prowling, Class A misdemeanors.

Judge William Delker would eventually side with the prosecutor, Assistant County Attorney Brett Harpster, who asked that Godinez be jailed on preventive detention as his case moves forward.

Delker said he found “clear and convincing evidence” that Godinez, if released, would present a danger to the public. He cited Godinez’s alleged comments that he “planned to mow down the building” and that he “didn’t care if (coworkers) got hurt … “ in his ruling.

According to police reports and Harpster’s statements in court, Godinez made the alleged threats to a female supervisor, who had been assigned to ride with Godinez for Thursday’s shift, which began at 2 p.m.

He allegedly complained about his supervisors, whom he referred to as “the white shirts,” and made the alleged comments about mowing down the building and not caring if others got hurt – including the woman, whom he allegedly told “it was nothing personal,” the reports state.

Harpster said the comments “terrified” the woman, and after she reported the comments to her supervisors, including the president of the company, they also became terrified.

The prospect of Godinez being released from custody has the employees very worried, Harpster said. “They don’t know what might happen if he’s released,” he said.

Company officials were planning to fire Godinez on Friday, and an official contacted police.

But shortly after police arrived at the business, a manager with whom officers were speaking spotted Godinez’s Toyota truck drive by the business.

An officer radioed to others parked in front of the business, and they eventually caught up to the truck near 360 Daniel Webster Highway, the reports state.

Police said Godinez put his hands out the window when the officers approached the vehicle. He also told the officers he had a handgun and an AR-15 in the vehicle, the reports state.

Raimo, meanwhile, said Godinez, a 2009 Pinkerton Academy graduate who studied aviation, grew increasingly disgruntled over such things as being handed schedules that “were impossible to meet,” Raimo said.

“At the same time, they were poisoning his record” with allegations about his job performance, Raimo said. “There are some good reasons why he was disgruntled,” he added.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256, or at dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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