-
Ex-Weymouth Police Officer Accused of Excessive Force in Incident Caught on Body Camera
Warning: The video above contains graphic violence and some may find it disturbing to watch. Viewer discretion is advised. A Weymouth police officer is accused of using excessive force and punching a handcuffed man multiple times, the whole incident caught on the officer’s body cameras. Officer Justin Chappell resigned after being notified by the department that he was facing...
-
Mass. Police Oversight Committee Eyes Next Steps
In its first annual report, the POST Commission laid the groundwork for a series of future regulations for police officer conduct, including outlining circumstances when law enforcement personnel might be denied recertification that allows them to do their job. Officially known as the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, the body has already issued regulations tied to the use…
-
2 More Mass. Police Officers Suspended by POST Commission
Two more police officers have been suspended by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. The newly-established POST Commission is a major part of police reform in the state and has said it intends to give updates at the beginning of each month. The three suspensions announced on April 6 bring the total to 24. Domenic Columbo of the…
-
POST Commission Suspends Former Rowley Cop Charged With Rape, 2 Other Officers
Three more police officers have been suspended by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, including a retired Rowley officer who has been charged with rape. The newly-established POST Commission is a major part of police reform in the state and has said it intends to give updates at the beginning of each month. The three suspensions announced Wednesday…
-
A Boston Police Officer Was Fired Twice. Arbitration Got Him His Job Back — But Should It?
Imagine you have a really important job and you get fired from that job twice for two separate incidents. Should you get the job back? Mayor Michelle Wu fears too many fired Boston police officers get reinstated to the force, and she has a plan to reform police accountability. A publicly available strategy outlines her willingness to leverage current...
-
4 More Officers Suspended Under New Mass. Police Reform Law
Massachusetts’ new POST Commission, a major part of police reform in the state, on Tuesday released the names of the first law enforcement officers it has suspended.
-
Man Accuses Worcester Police of Racially Profiling Him in Dozens of Traffic Stops
A Black Massachusetts man has accused the Worcester Police Department of racial profiling, saying he has been stopped by officers dozens of times in the last decade. TJ Juty of Worcester started recording the traffic stops on his cellphone. The videos don’t capture the whole story, but his lawyer, Joseph Hennessey, argues they show enough to counter the narrative...
-
Boxborough Police Chief on Administrative Leave Says He's ‘Exonerated' Amid FBI Investigation
After more than a year of being paid to stay at home, Boxborough Police Chief Warren Ryder broke his silence on social media. “There is nothing worse than being accused of baseless allegations without the right to due process,” Ryder wrote in a LinkedIn post. “Personality based politics combined with abuse of power is a dangerous reality these days even…
-
15 Police Officers Suspended Under New Mass. Police Reform Law
Massachusetts’ new POST Commission, a major part of police reform in the state, on Tuesday released the names of the first law enforcement officers it has suspended.
-
Mass. POST Commission Police Officer Database Unveiled
A new database has been unveiled that aims to make it easier for the public to get information on the police officers who serve their Massachusetts communities, a move officials hope will increase transparency and trust. The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission announced Monday that it has released a list of certified law enforcement officers. This first iteration…
-
Information About Mass. Police Officers Will be Made Public, But How Much Remains Up for Debate
Starting as soon as this week the names of certified Massachusetts police officers will start to be made public, along with information on those officers. How much information is still under discussion by the Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, Commission. At a virtual public hearing the commissioners heard some strong words on the subject. Annemarie Grant began with...
-
Some Mass. Officers Denied Recertification Due To Character, Disciplinary Questions
More than two dozen Massachusetts law enforcement officers did not secure renewed certification under the state’s new police reform law for reasons including possible ongoing disciplinary matters, while more than 200 others were not recertified for other causes, the executive director of a police oversight panel said Tuesday. Through Nov. 16, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission had processed…
-
Judge Denies Ex-Brockton Police Chief's Attempt to Dismiss Negligent Driving Case
A Worcester District Court judge denied an attempt to dismiss a negligent driving case against Brockton’s former police chief. The criminal case against Emanuel Gomes stems from a three-vehicle wreck he caused in his department vehicle in May 2021. The chief did not receive any citations for the crash, and it flew under the radar for months until an NBC10…
-
Was Boxborough Police Officer's False Paid Detail Timecard a Crime?
On a cloudy October day, Sgt. Brett Pelley of the Boxborough Police Department emerged from Newton District Court, relieved he would not be facing a criminal charge. The veteran officer found himself in the predicament after his own town leaders asked a clerk magistrate to consider if a criminal complaint should go forward. Outside court, in a brief statement, Select…