A police sergeant in Hull, Massachusetts, is on leave amid a criminal court matter, according to the town's chief of police. He is charged with assault and battery on a person over 60 in Pembroke.
Sgt. Scott Saunders was put on administrative leave because of an incident that happened in another community, said Hull Police Chief John Dunn, who is also serving as acting town manager. Dunn added that the incident did not happen during the officer's working hours.
Saunders was arrested on Monday, July 24, on a charge of assault and battery on a person who's at least 60 years old and has a disability, causing injury, according to Pembroke police records. The incident, initially reported as a disturbance, took place on Grace Ann Road before noon.
Buddy Horsley says he was driving home from running errands last week when he saw Saunders, his neighbor, carrying a paddleboard.
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"I'm going by, and the next thing I know, I hear 'Ba-ba-boom.' I'm like, 'What the hell was that?'" Horsley said. "I saw the board, out of my corner of my eye, go into my car."
Horsley says he confronted Saunders about the damage, and things turned violent.
"He jumped me, had me on my back, wailing away," he said. "These are defensive wounds, because I didn't want him to hit me in the face again."
Saunders told police in Pembroke that Horsley raised his hands first. A woman at Saunders' home asked NBC10 Boston to leave.
According to a police report, Saunders showed home surveillance video to investigators with the Pembroke Police Department, saying it supported his claim. Police said they couldn't see Horsley's hands in the video, but they could see Saunders punching Horsley once while on top of him.
"I was just trying to keep him from killing me," Horsley said.
Saunders' administrative leave will continue until a conclusion is reached in the criminal court matter, Dunn said.
On Wednesday, he announced that Saunders had his license to carry suspended and his badge and service weapon taken while the investigation took place. Hull police were also conducting an internal affairs investigation.
The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission has been notified of the situation.
