It has been four months since Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston said, “He’s gone - G-O-N-E.’’
At the time, Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis vowed that there would be a termination hearing in seven to 10 days.
But four months later, Officer Justin Barrett, who was accused of writing an e-mail that called Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. a “banana-eating jungle monkey,’’ remains on administrative leave and is still collecting his $70,500 salary.
Yesterday, three days after the Globe began asking about Barrett’s status, police scheduled the hearing for Jan. 6. They planned to serve Barrett notice of the hearing at his Hyde Park Home yesterday, according to police.
Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said the timing was coincidental. The date was decided two days after the internal affairs investigation results were presented to the department’s lawyers and the hearing officer, Deputy Superintendent Norman Hill. According to Davis, Driscoll had been pushing for a hearing date for the past two weeks.
Barrett, who has sued the department and city contending that his civil and due process rights were violated, could not be reached for comment. His lawyer, Peter T. Marano, could not be reached. A phone listed at his Boston office rang with no reply.
Barrett sent an e-mail in July responding to a Globe column by Yvonne Abraham about the controversial arrest of Gates.
In the e-mail, Barrett said that Gates, who is African-American, had behaved like a “banana-eating jungle monkey’’ when Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley responded to his home for a report of a break-in. Gates was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct, a charge that was quickly dropped.
The Rev. Dale Robinson, a Dorchester minister, was at a press conference in August at police headquarters in Roxbury when Davis announced that Barrett would be fired following a hearing. Such action was necessary, Robinson said, in order to maintain the fragile trust between police and the city’s minority residents.
“I would like to see fairness done to the community,’’ said Robinson. “It would be hard for the community to swallow . . . if they did not carry out or go forward with what they stated they would do.’’
Davis said yesterday that he does worry about the effect the delay could have on the sometimes rocky relationship between the police and the city’s minority neighborhoods.
“Absolutely,’’ he said. “The trust with the community is paramount and what we’re trying to do here is to do this right.’’
Davis said he has not changed his mind about seeking termination for Barrett, who has not previously been disciplined during his two years at the department.
“There is nothing that I’ve seen that would change any statement that I made before on it,’’ he said.
Davis said he wanted to move forward immediately with a termination hearing, but delayed at the advice of department lawyers, who said rushing the case could help Barrett if there was an appeal.
“I’m frustrated by the process,’’ Davis said. “As egregious as this conduct is and as upset as everyone was about it, we want to make sure that [the hearing] is done properly and that it holds up in appeals.’’
Larry Ellison, a Boston detective and president of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, said he understands why it has taken a long time to schedule a hearing for Barrett, who was a patrolman in the Mattapan district.
“They would have given him a better case if they had terminated him without giving him the due process he’s entitled to,’’ Ellison said.
But he said city officials should have been more careful in August when they announced they wanted Barrett fired immediately.
“You can’t come through; people are skeptical when you say you’re going to do something,’’ Ellison said.
Showing posts with label Boston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston. Show all posts
Friday, December 04, 2009
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Boston Officer Accuses Another Officer of Rape
A Boston police officer who has accused another officer of raping her, then stalking her, testified today that her alleged attacker squeezed her throat and threatened her life during the assault.
The officer, whose name is being withheld by the Globe because the newspaper does not identify those who say they were sexual assaulted, testified in excruciating detail about the alleged rape before a Dorchester District Court judge as she sought to extend a restraining order against him.
In a soft voice, the petite woman told Judge David Weingarten that she fears the patrolman, a sniper in the department's SWAT team, because he had threatened to shoot her husband and "he has no qualms about killing people."
The accused officer stood only 10 feet away, dressed in a gray pin-stripe suit, his arms folded in front of him. The Globe is withholding his name because he not been officially charged with a crime. He did not testify today.
In the courtroom were at least half a dozen officers from the special operations division, an elite unit that includes the department's SWAT team and motorcycle squad.
During the tense, 90-minute hearing, the female officer repeatedly was asked to speak up as she tried to describe what happened on Aug. 25, when she said she joined her alleged attacker and another officer for a trip to Farmington, Conn. for a shooting competition.
After a night of heavy drinking, the three officers went back to their hotel, where they shared a room.
It was there that the female officer said she was raped.
"He grabbed my throat and squeezed really hard," she said. "I remember thinking I couldn't breathe."
He raped her twice that night, she said, as the other officer lay passed out on the floor.
The next day, she said, he demanded sex again and out of fear for her and her husband's life, she said she acquiesced. She said she was intimidated into having sex with him three more times during the next month.
Last week, after she fainted during a training, she learned she was pregnant, she testified.
On Thursday, she said she was called in by the department's internal affairs division about the incident.
"They came to her," her lawyer, John Swomley said, after the hearing. "She did not go to them."
The officer said a sergeant-detective in the domestic violence division told her not to file a restraining order. A cruiser has been assigned to guard her apartment, Swomley said, but he said he suspects members of the department's internal affairs division have been reporting her whereabouts to the accused officer.
After the hearing, Swomley recanted his statement, saying he misspoke. He said that the sergeant-detective in the domestic violence unit was giving information about his client's actions to the accused officer's lawyer, Thomas Drechsler.
Drechsler said his client has no power over superior officers.
"Sergeant detectives don't usually do what patrol officers tell them to do," he said.
After the hearing, Drechsler, standing next to his client, addressed reporters as the accused officer looked on calmly.
"He has, will and continues to deny the allegations," Drechsler said.
The restraining order was extended to next Monday, when the hearing will be continued.
The officer, whose name is being withheld by the Globe because the newspaper does not identify those who say they were sexual assaulted, testified in excruciating detail about the alleged rape before a Dorchester District Court judge as she sought to extend a restraining order against him.
In a soft voice, the petite woman told Judge David Weingarten that she fears the patrolman, a sniper in the department's SWAT team, because he had threatened to shoot her husband and "he has no qualms about killing people."
The accused officer stood only 10 feet away, dressed in a gray pin-stripe suit, his arms folded in front of him. The Globe is withholding his name because he not been officially charged with a crime. He did not testify today.
In the courtroom were at least half a dozen officers from the special operations division, an elite unit that includes the department's SWAT team and motorcycle squad.
During the tense, 90-minute hearing, the female officer repeatedly was asked to speak up as she tried to describe what happened on Aug. 25, when she said she joined her alleged attacker and another officer for a trip to Farmington, Conn. for a shooting competition.
After a night of heavy drinking, the three officers went back to their hotel, where they shared a room.
It was there that the female officer said she was raped.
"He grabbed my throat and squeezed really hard," she said. "I remember thinking I couldn't breathe."
He raped her twice that night, she said, as the other officer lay passed out on the floor.
The next day, she said, he demanded sex again and out of fear for her and her husband's life, she said she acquiesced. She said she was intimidated into having sex with him three more times during the next month.
Last week, after she fainted during a training, she learned she was pregnant, she testified.
On Thursday, she said she was called in by the department's internal affairs division about the incident.
"They came to her," her lawyer, John Swomley said, after the hearing. "She did not go to them."
The officer said a sergeant-detective in the domestic violence division told her not to file a restraining order. A cruiser has been assigned to guard her apartment, Swomley said, but he said he suspects members of the department's internal affairs division have been reporting her whereabouts to the accused officer.
After the hearing, Swomley recanted his statement, saying he misspoke. He said that the sergeant-detective in the domestic violence unit was giving information about his client's actions to the accused officer's lawyer, Thomas Drechsler.
Drechsler said his client has no power over superior officers.
"Sergeant detectives don't usually do what patrol officers tell them to do," he said.
After the hearing, Drechsler, standing next to his client, addressed reporters as the accused officer looked on calmly.
"He has, will and continues to deny the allegations," Drechsler said.
The restraining order was extended to next Monday, when the hearing will be continued.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Officer Justin Barrett Suspended for Racially Charged Language
A Boston police officer was suspended and faces dismissal after he allegedly sent a letter including “racially charged language” about Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, a department spokeswoman said.
Police learned of the letter yesterday, said Elaine Driscoll, the spokeswoman. She didn’t elaborate on how police got the information. The Boston Herald reported a racial slur was in a mass e-mail to Officer Justin Barrett’s colleagues in the National Guard.
“Police Commissioner Ed Davis moved immediately to strip the officer of his badge and gun and proceeded toward a termination hearing,” Driscoll said.
A local telephone number for a Justin Barrett wasn’t answered when called by Bloomberg News.
Gates, 58, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African & African American Research at Harvard, in neighboring Cambridge, has been at the center of a controversy about race since he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct on July 16. Police responding to the report of a break-in arrested Gates at his home. Prosecutors dropped the charge.
Driscoll said Barrett, 36, would remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the hearing. She said a date hasn’t been set.
Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Thomas Nee wasn’t prepared to comment immediately on the Barrett case, although a statement is planned, said Ann Parolin, the union’s office manager.
The Gates arrest got even more attention last week when President Barack Obama said Cambridge police “acted stupidly in arresting someone where there was already proof that they were in their own home.”
On July 24, Obama phoned Cambridge Police Sergeant James Crowley, the white officer who arrested the black professor, and said he didn’t mean to malign Crowley or his department. Obama invited Gates and Crowley to the White House tomorrow night for a beer.
Police learned of the letter yesterday, said Elaine Driscoll, the spokeswoman. She didn’t elaborate on how police got the information. The Boston Herald reported a racial slur was in a mass e-mail to Officer Justin Barrett’s colleagues in the National Guard.
“Police Commissioner Ed Davis moved immediately to strip the officer of his badge and gun and proceeded toward a termination hearing,” Driscoll said.
A local telephone number for a Justin Barrett wasn’t answered when called by Bloomberg News.
Gates, 58, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African & African American Research at Harvard, in neighboring Cambridge, has been at the center of a controversy about race since he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct on July 16. Police responding to the report of a break-in arrested Gates at his home. Prosecutors dropped the charge.
Driscoll said Barrett, 36, would remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the hearing. She said a date hasn’t been set.
Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Thomas Nee wasn’t prepared to comment immediately on the Barrett case, although a statement is planned, said Ann Parolin, the union’s office manager.
The Gates arrest got even more attention last week when President Barack Obama said Cambridge police “acted stupidly in arresting someone where there was already proof that they were in their own home.”
On July 24, Obama phoned Cambridge Police Sergeant James Crowley, the white officer who arrested the black professor, and said he didn’t mean to malign Crowley or his department. Obama invited Gates and Crowley to the White House tomorrow night for a beer.
Friday, July 03, 2009
11 Boston Officers Suspended for Steroid Abuse
Several Boston police officers have been suspended in connection with a three-year investigation into steroid abuse that involved improper conduct at an after-hours club.
"I am disappointed with the actions of the officers disciplined in this matter. With this chapter finally closed, the department will move forward with improved policies and practices resulting from difficult lessons learned. We remain steadfast in our dedication to preserving the integrity of our department by taking every measure to prevent and when necessary uncover officer misconduct," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.
In all, 11 officers were disciplined, including two detectives. The discipline ranged from a written reprimand to an 80-day suspension.
Investigators identified 24 Factory Street in Hyde Park as an after-hours party location. The facility is no longer an after-hours club. But in 2006, police said it was used by disgraced Boston Police Officer Roberto Polido and other officers for sex and drugs, including steroids.
Polido pleaded guilty to his crimes, and two other Boston police officers were also charged in the corruption probe.
The Boston Police Department commissioner announced an end to the investigation and disciplined more officers for their role in the scandal.
"I am disappointed with the actions of the officers disciplined in this matter. With this chapter finally closed, the department will move forward with improved policies and practices resulting from difficult lessons learned. We remain steadfast in our dedication to preserving the integrity of our department by taking every measure to prevent and when necessary uncover officer misconduct," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.
Davis said the department has learned lessons from the investigation and that changes have been made.
"I'm exploring the possible of including steroid testing in the annual drug testing policy," he said.
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http://wbztv.com/local/police.steroid.abuse.2.1069391.html
"I am disappointed with the actions of the officers disciplined in this matter. With this chapter finally closed, the department will move forward with improved policies and practices resulting from difficult lessons learned. We remain steadfast in our dedication to preserving the integrity of our department by taking every measure to prevent and when necessary uncover officer misconduct," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.
In all, 11 officers were disciplined, including two detectives. The discipline ranged from a written reprimand to an 80-day suspension.
Investigators identified 24 Factory Street in Hyde Park as an after-hours party location. The facility is no longer an after-hours club. But in 2006, police said it was used by disgraced Boston Police Officer Roberto Polido and other officers for sex and drugs, including steroids.
Polido pleaded guilty to his crimes, and two other Boston police officers were also charged in the corruption probe.
The Boston Police Department commissioner announced an end to the investigation and disciplined more officers for their role in the scandal.
"I am disappointed with the actions of the officers disciplined in this matter. With this chapter finally closed, the department will move forward with improved policies and practices resulting from difficult lessons learned. We remain steadfast in our dedication to preserving the integrity of our department by taking every measure to prevent and when necessary uncover officer misconduct," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.
Davis said the department has learned lessons from the investigation and that changes have been made.
"I'm exploring the possible of including steroid testing in the annual drug testing policy," he said.
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http://wbztv.com/local/police.steroid.abuse.2.1069391.html
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Arraignment Set for Officer Joseph Houston Charged with Assault & Battery
BREWSTER
The Associated Press reported that former Brewster Police Officer Joseph Houston,29, is charged with assault and battery and open and gross lewdness stemming from an incident at a Metallica concert Jan. 18.
Houston, who is no longer with the Brewster Police Department, was accused by parents of a concertgoer of allegedly urinating on the concertgoer and harassing his 17 year-old sister in a lewd manner. He was later arrested for trespassing by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police.
Arraignment is scheduled for April 8.
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Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/02/officer-joseph-houston-investiegated.html
Other Information: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090326/NEWS/903260322
The Associated Press reported that former Brewster Police Officer Joseph Houston,29, is charged with assault and battery and open and gross lewdness stemming from an incident at a Metallica concert Jan. 18.
Houston, who is no longer with the Brewster Police Department, was accused by parents of a concertgoer of allegedly urinating on the concertgoer and harassing his 17 year-old sister in a lewd manner. He was later arrested for trespassing by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police.
Arraignment is scheduled for April 8.
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Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/02/officer-joseph-houston-investiegated.html
Other Information: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090326/NEWS/903260322
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Officer Joseph Houston Investigated for Exposing Himself
BREWSTER
Selectmen met for a second, and final, time yesterday afternoon in a closed-door session to decide whether to discipline or dismiss Brewster police Officer Joseph Houston for alledgedly exposing himself and assaulting other patrons at a Jan. 18 rock concert in Boston.
The hearing took nearly two hours and allowed Houston's attorney to present his client's side of the case to the board. Afterward, selectmen chairman Peter Norton said the rules regarding executive session prohibited him from commenting on the meeting other than to say that the board had concluded its deliberations on the matter.
Leaving the meeting, Houston did not appear to be a man who had been vindicated. He and his attorney walked briskly past reporters, who had been excluded from the hearing. Neither Houston nor his attorney, Patrick Bryant, would comment on whether Houston still had a job as a Brewster police officer.
"There will be no comment at this time," Bryant said.
The municipal payroll is considered a public record, and, after the meeting, Police Chief Richard Koch said that Houston, who had been on paid administrative leave since the January incident, would not be on paid leave as of today, or any time thereafter.
Houston was allegedly intoxicated while at a Metallica concert at TD Banknorth Garden on Jan. 18. At one point, he allegedly pulled down his pants and urinated on a man in the row in front of him. According to a complaint filed with Boston police after the concert, Houston also physically and verbally harassed the female members of the party, identified only as a family from out of state, and allegedly lunged at the man's sister with his pants still down and genitals exposed.
When he was ejected by security guards for fighting with the first victim, Houston allegedly flashed his Brewster police badge, identified himself as an officer and demanded he be allowed back into the concert. At one point, he allegedly said "Look at Obama" to a black Transit police officer.
Houston was arrested by the Transit Police and charged with trespassing for trying to get back into the concert. He has been arraigned on that charge. Boston detectives have also requested a clerk's hearing, set for March 5, on possible felony charges against the officer.
Executive session is typically invoked in personnel cases, especially disciplinary and dismissal hearings. The sessions are closed to the public and media unless the defendant asks them to be conducted in open session. Houston requested a closed hearing. Executive session minutes and the record of decision is generally public information, once selectmen have reviewed and approved them.
Chief Koch said his department's own internal investigation into Houston's conduct at the concert would not be released until after all avenues of appeal had been exhausted, including any possible union grievance.
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http://www.wickedlocal.com/brewster/town_info/government/x594726462/Brewster-tight-lipped-after-Houston-hearing
Selectmen met for a second, and final, time yesterday afternoon in a closed-door session to decide whether to discipline or dismiss Brewster police Officer Joseph Houston for alledgedly exposing himself and assaulting other patrons at a Jan. 18 rock concert in Boston.
The hearing took nearly two hours and allowed Houston's attorney to present his client's side of the case to the board. Afterward, selectmen chairman Peter Norton said the rules regarding executive session prohibited him from commenting on the meeting other than to say that the board had concluded its deliberations on the matter.
Leaving the meeting, Houston did not appear to be a man who had been vindicated. He and his attorney walked briskly past reporters, who had been excluded from the hearing. Neither Houston nor his attorney, Patrick Bryant, would comment on whether Houston still had a job as a Brewster police officer.
"There will be no comment at this time," Bryant said.
The municipal payroll is considered a public record, and, after the meeting, Police Chief Richard Koch said that Houston, who had been on paid administrative leave since the January incident, would not be on paid leave as of today, or any time thereafter.
Houston was allegedly intoxicated while at a Metallica concert at TD Banknorth Garden on Jan. 18. At one point, he allegedly pulled down his pants and urinated on a man in the row in front of him. According to a complaint filed with Boston police after the concert, Houston also physically and verbally harassed the female members of the party, identified only as a family from out of state, and allegedly lunged at the man's sister with his pants still down and genitals exposed.
When he was ejected by security guards for fighting with the first victim, Houston allegedly flashed his Brewster police badge, identified himself as an officer and demanded he be allowed back into the concert. At one point, he allegedly said "Look at Obama" to a black Transit police officer.
Houston was arrested by the Transit Police and charged with trespassing for trying to get back into the concert. He has been arraigned on that charge. Boston detectives have also requested a clerk's hearing, set for March 5, on possible felony charges against the officer.
Executive session is typically invoked in personnel cases, especially disciplinary and dismissal hearings. The sessions are closed to the public and media unless the defendant asks them to be conducted in open session. Houston requested a closed hearing. Executive session minutes and the record of decision is generally public information, once selectmen have reviewed and approved them.
Chief Koch said his department's own internal investigation into Houston's conduct at the concert would not be released until after all avenues of appeal had been exhausted, including any possible union grievance.
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http://www.wickedlocal.com/brewster/town_info/government/x594726462/Brewster-tight-lipped-after-Houston-hearing
Monday, February 09, 2009
Former Trooper Mark Lemieux Pleads Guilty to Extortion
BOSTON
A former state trooper has pleaded guilty to using extortion to collect drug debts and conspiring to distribute the prescription painkiller OxyContin.
The U.S. Attorney's office says Mark Lemieux of Norfolk pleaded guilty Monday, the first day of his trial in federal court. He faces up to 20 years in prison and up to $1.25 million in fines when he is sentenced May 21.
Lemieux and three others, including a retired state trooper, were arrested in May 2007 on charges they participated in an Oxycontin ring.
Joseph Catanese, who had worked with Lemieux on a police task force targeting drug dealers, pleaded guilty last fall in a deal with prosecutors to using extortion to collect drug debts and conspiring to obstruct justice.
Tara Drummey of Norfolk and Patrick McCarthy of Yarmouth also have pleaded guilty in the case. Drummey was sentenced to more than three years in prison and McCarthy to nearly 3 1/2 years.
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http://www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2009/02/10/04/1427-80/index.xml
A former state trooper has pleaded guilty to using extortion to collect drug debts and conspiring to distribute the prescription painkiller OxyContin.
The U.S. Attorney's office says Mark Lemieux of Norfolk pleaded guilty Monday, the first day of his trial in federal court. He faces up to 20 years in prison and up to $1.25 million in fines when he is sentenced May 21.
Lemieux and three others, including a retired state trooper, were arrested in May 2007 on charges they participated in an Oxycontin ring.
Joseph Catanese, who had worked with Lemieux on a police task force targeting drug dealers, pleaded guilty last fall in a deal with prosecutors to using extortion to collect drug debts and conspiring to obstruct justice.
Tara Drummey of Norfolk and Patrick McCarthy of Yarmouth also have pleaded guilty in the case. Drummey was sentenced to more than three years in prison and McCarthy to nearly 3 1/2 years.
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http://www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2009/02/10/04/1427-80/index.xml
Friday, February 06, 2009
Boston Officer Reassigned After using Cruiser to Escort Strippers
A Boston police officer has been reassigned to desk duty pending an internal affairs investigation of reports that he used a police cruiser without authority to escort two celebrity strippers, known as the "Brangelina" of the gay community, to a nightclub in the Theater District.
The officer, whose name was not released, is accused of picking up the two men, Arden and Jordan Jaric of California, from Logan Airport on Oct. 24 last year and taking them to the Roxy nightclub on Tremont Street, which often hosts gay-themed events, according to two police sources with knowledge of the investigation who requested anonymity.
"These are troubling allegations at a time when resources are stretched thin," police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said in a statement. "The department is taking this matter very seriously and it will be fully investigated."
Boston police brass became aware of the escort after the two men came under Providence police attention following a sexually graphic show they performed at Trixx All Male Revue, a male nude club on Allens Avenue in Providence, the sources said. Providence police investigated reports that the two men may have been escorted to the Rhode Island club by a law enforcement officer.
The men took pictures of a police cruiser in one of Boston's tunnels and referred to the escort on a blog, according to the sources, who confirmed a report aired on WJAR-TV in Providence.
The investigation was forwarded to Boston police when Rhode Island investigators determined the origin of the cruiser providing the escort. Boston police said yesterday that the incident is under investigation.
The sources said that investigators believe the escort to the Roxy occurred a day before the show in Rhode Island, was limited to the trip from Logan to Tremont Street, and the officer did not accompany the performers to Providence.
Boston police have varying standards for providing a police escort, but officials said they are primarily concerned with the allegations of inappropriate use of police resources without permission for the escort.
Elaine Driscoll, a spokeswoman for Boston police, could not say yesterday how the officer may have been commissioned to provide a police escort.
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http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1150414
The officer, whose name was not released, is accused of picking up the two men, Arden and Jordan Jaric of California, from Logan Airport on Oct. 24 last year and taking them to the Roxy nightclub on Tremont Street, which often hosts gay-themed events, according to two police sources with knowledge of the investigation who requested anonymity.
"These are troubling allegations at a time when resources are stretched thin," police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said in a statement. "The department is taking this matter very seriously and it will be fully investigated."
Boston police brass became aware of the escort after the two men came under Providence police attention following a sexually graphic show they performed at Trixx All Male Revue, a male nude club on Allens Avenue in Providence, the sources said. Providence police investigated reports that the two men may have been escorted to the Rhode Island club by a law enforcement officer.
The men took pictures of a police cruiser in one of Boston's tunnels and referred to the escort on a blog, according to the sources, who confirmed a report aired on WJAR-TV in Providence.
The investigation was forwarded to Boston police when Rhode Island investigators determined the origin of the cruiser providing the escort. Boston police said yesterday that the incident is under investigation.
The sources said that investigators believe the escort to the Roxy occurred a day before the show in Rhode Island, was limited to the trip from Logan to Tremont Street, and the officer did not accompany the performers to Providence.
Boston police have varying standards for providing a police escort, but officials said they are primarily concerned with the allegations of inappropriate use of police resources without permission for the escort.
Elaine Driscoll, a spokeswoman for Boston police, could not say yesterday how the officer may have been commissioned to provide a police escort.
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http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1150414
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Sgt. Michael Hanson Investigated for Not Living in City Where he Works
A Boston police sergeant has been placed on administrative leave and could be fired in allegedly violating a residency regulation that requires employees of the city to live within its boundaries, officials said yesterday.
Sergeant Michael Hanson, 38, was placed on leave following an investigation by the city's compliancy unit, which responds to tips about employees who violate the rule.
Hanson, a veteran of 10 years who is assigned to the district covering West Roxbury, could not be reached for comment yesterday. The head of his union, the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, said the organization stands behind him.
"Sergeant Hanson has the full backing and support of the Superior Officers Federation," said Joseph Gillespie, the union president. "We feel this is in response to our ongoing contractual negotiations."
Gillespie declined to elaborate.
The union has been without a contract since 2006. The department's two other unions, the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association and the Detective Benevolent Society, negotiated contracts in 2006 that allow members who have been with the department for 10 years to live outside the city. Other unions have negotiated similar exceptions to the 1976 ordinance. Fewer than 10,000 of the city's roughly 18,000 employees are subject to the regulation, said John McGonagle, chairman of the city's residency commission, which hears complaints.
The compliancy unit is also investigating at least two firefighters accused of violating the residency rule, officials said. Their names were not released because of the ongoing probe.
In January, a police civilian - Keri Mastrogiacomo, who was assigned to the ballistics unit - left the department after the compliancy unit accused her of violating the rule. She resigned before her residency hearing at City Hall, police said.
Mastrogiacomo, who acknowledged she was living in Braintree, said she and her husband own a home in Boston and pay taxes on it.
She said the investigation into her residency occurred about a month after she complained that a supervisor had sexually harassed her and discriminated against her.
Mastrogiacomo said she has filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. A police spokeswoman declined to comment.
"The residency rule isn't worth the paper that it's written on," Mastrogiacomo said in a telephone interview. "It's enforced only when it suits them."
The compliancy unit falls under the city's Property and Construction Management department and has one full-time investigator. The department may contract with a private company for more investigators if there is a backlog of cases, McGonagle said.
The unit is investigating about a dozen cases, he said.
After receiving a tip, investigators typically follow employees home to verify whether they live at the address they say is theirs, McGonagle said. They also examine documents like voting records, insurance forms, and registrations, he said.
The residency commission then holds a hearing during which both sides present their cases, said McGonagle, who noted that he has heard about 150 cases since 1994, when the city, under Mayor Thomas M. Menino, began enforcing the ordinance more aggressively.
Of those cases, about 50 have resulted in the employee being fired or resigning, McGonagle said.
"The city wants to have some stability and some control over its workforce and would like to know that the people who are good enough to work for the city would also want to live in the city," he said.
Sergeant Michael Hanson, 38, was placed on leave following an investigation by the city's compliancy unit, which responds to tips about employees who violate the rule.
Hanson, a veteran of 10 years who is assigned to the district covering West Roxbury, could not be reached for comment yesterday. The head of his union, the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, said the organization stands behind him.
"Sergeant Hanson has the full backing and support of the Superior Officers Federation," said Joseph Gillespie, the union president. "We feel this is in response to our ongoing contractual negotiations."
Gillespie declined to elaborate.
The union has been without a contract since 2006. The department's two other unions, the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association and the Detective Benevolent Society, negotiated contracts in 2006 that allow members who have been with the department for 10 years to live outside the city. Other unions have negotiated similar exceptions to the 1976 ordinance. Fewer than 10,000 of the city's roughly 18,000 employees are subject to the regulation, said John McGonagle, chairman of the city's residency commission, which hears complaints.
The compliancy unit is also investigating at least two firefighters accused of violating the residency rule, officials said. Their names were not released because of the ongoing probe.
In January, a police civilian - Keri Mastrogiacomo, who was assigned to the ballistics unit - left the department after the compliancy unit accused her of violating the rule. She resigned before her residency hearing at City Hall, police said.
Mastrogiacomo, who acknowledged she was living in Braintree, said she and her husband own a home in Boston and pay taxes on it.
She said the investigation into her residency occurred about a month after she complained that a supervisor had sexually harassed her and discriminated against her.
Mastrogiacomo said she has filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. A police spokeswoman declined to comment.
"The residency rule isn't worth the paper that it's written on," Mastrogiacomo said in a telephone interview. "It's enforced only when it suits them."
The compliancy unit falls under the city's Property and Construction Management department and has one full-time investigator. The department may contract with a private company for more investigators if there is a backlog of cases, McGonagle said.
The unit is investigating about a dozen cases, he said.
After receiving a tip, investigators typically follow employees home to verify whether they live at the address they say is theirs, McGonagle said. They also examine documents like voting records, insurance forms, and registrations, he said.
The residency commission then holds a hearing during which both sides present their cases, said McGonagle, who noted that he has heard about 150 cases since 1994, when the city, under Mayor Thomas M. Menino, began enforcing the ordinance more aggressively.
Of those cases, about 50 have resulted in the employee being fired or resigning, McGonagle said.
"The city wants to have some stability and some control over its workforce and would like to know that the people who are good enough to work for the city would also want to live in the city," he said.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Former Officer Isaac Thornton Accused of Planning to Shoot a Police Officer
BOSTON
A former Boston police officer has found himself on the wrong side of the law.
Isaac Thornton, 43, of Arlington, was arrested outside a club early Saturday morning, accused of planning to shoot a police officer.
Thornton was at the Dublin House at 7 Stoughton Street in Dorchester when someone overheard him say he was carrying a firearm because he was going to shoot a police officer.
Boston Police were called to the Dublin House and when they arrived, Thornton was hiding in a doorway next door.
Officers approached him, a fight ensued, and he was taken into custody.
Police discovered a firearm, a round of bullets, and a police badge in his possession.
Thornton has a past record of trouble with the law.
Back in July of 1991, he faced charges for shooting a Dorchester teen at The Gallery nightclub in Roxbury.
Thornton was cleared of all charges, but has since been terminated from the Boston Police Department.
He is being held at District B2 in Roxbury and faces several charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and carrying a loaded firearm
A former Boston police officer has found himself on the wrong side of the law.
Isaac Thornton, 43, of Arlington, was arrested outside a club early Saturday morning, accused of planning to shoot a police officer.
Thornton was at the Dublin House at 7 Stoughton Street in Dorchester when someone overheard him say he was carrying a firearm because he was going to shoot a police officer.
Boston Police were called to the Dublin House and when they arrived, Thornton was hiding in a doorway next door.
Officers approached him, a fight ensued, and he was taken into custody.
Police discovered a firearm, a round of bullets, and a police badge in his possession.
Thornton has a past record of trouble with the law.
Back in July of 1991, he faced charges for shooting a Dorchester teen at The Gallery nightclub in Roxbury.
Thornton was cleared of all charges, but has since been terminated from the Boston Police Department.
He is being held at District B2 in Roxbury and faces several charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and carrying a loaded firearm
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Officer Dennis O'Connell Facing Federal Lawsuit for Police Brutality
NEW HAVEN
A New Haven police officer is facing two federal lawsuits accusing him of brutality and an illegal strip search, while records show he has been subject to a history of complaints of excessive force.
Union officials call Officer Dennis O'Connell "a good cop" who works in tough, violent neighborhoods. But the coordinator for the department's Civilian Review Board said complaints against O'Connell are high.
"One person with eight complaints of the same type could be perceived as excessive," said Reginald Thomas, coordinator of the Civilian Review Board. "It's not the average for a New Haven police officer."
A telephone message was left for O'Connell with Sergeant Louis G. Cavaliere, president of the police union, who said O'Connell declined to comment. O'Connell has been on the force for about a decade and makes about $59,000 per year.
"This is not Mayberry USA or Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," Cavaliere said. "You're dealing with the scum of the earth when you're dealing with people with drugs and guns."
The department has a recent history of scandal. Three detectives were sent to prison for planting evidence and stealing money from crime scenes.
An independent review of the department found problems with investigations of complaints against police. Many cases were closed because those who filed the complaints did not pursue them, according to the report last year by the Police Executive Research Forum, a national group that evaluates police operations.
In one of the lawsuits, five men and a woman say O'Connell used excessive force. One man said he was repeatedly punched in the face and sprayed with chemicals while he was handcuffed, while another said he was beaten unconscious.
Dramese Fair, who is black, also filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year accusing O'Connell and two other officers of subjecting him to an illegal strip search last year.
Eight other residents have filed complaints in recent years accusing O'Connell of excessive force and other misconduct, according to records obtained by the Associated Press.
Attorney Paul Garlinghouse, attorney for the six plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit, said his clients filed complaints with police, but no action was taken. His lawsuit seeks $9.5 million in damages.
None of the eight complaints resulted in any disciplinary action against O'Connell. Internal affairs investigators said the alleged victims did not pursue their complaints or they were unfounded or, in one case, missed a deadline for filing.
Police reports on the incidents contradict versions by the complainants. One of the complainants pushed O'Connell and threw a punch at him, and O'Connell said another man burned him with a cigarette, according to police reports.
Valerie Myles, who alleged that officers beat her and her cousin, said she did try to pursue her complaint but "evidently it disappeared." A police report charging her cousin with drug violations was filled out by Detective Justen Kasperzyk, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison for planting drug evidence and stealing money from a crime scene.
"They are hot to stamp 'not pursued' on these cases," Garlinghouse said.
Fair's lawsuit accuses the city of postponing a hearing to avoid scrutiny of illegal searches and refusing to act on disciplinary complaints against the officers.
City officials said they could not comment on pending litigation. They also declined to comment on complaints that have been closed.
A New Haven police officer is facing two federal lawsuits accusing him of brutality and an illegal strip search, while records show he has been subject to a history of complaints of excessive force.
Union officials call Officer Dennis O'Connell "a good cop" who works in tough, violent neighborhoods. But the coordinator for the department's Civilian Review Board said complaints against O'Connell are high.
"One person with eight complaints of the same type could be perceived as excessive," said Reginald Thomas, coordinator of the Civilian Review Board. "It's not the average for a New Haven police officer."
A telephone message was left for O'Connell with Sergeant Louis G. Cavaliere, president of the police union, who said O'Connell declined to comment. O'Connell has been on the force for about a decade and makes about $59,000 per year.
"This is not Mayberry USA or Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," Cavaliere said. "You're dealing with the scum of the earth when you're dealing with people with drugs and guns."
The department has a recent history of scandal. Three detectives were sent to prison for planting evidence and stealing money from crime scenes.
An independent review of the department found problems with investigations of complaints against police. Many cases were closed because those who filed the complaints did not pursue them, according to the report last year by the Police Executive Research Forum, a national group that evaluates police operations.
In one of the lawsuits, five men and a woman say O'Connell used excessive force. One man said he was repeatedly punched in the face and sprayed with chemicals while he was handcuffed, while another said he was beaten unconscious.
Dramese Fair, who is black, also filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year accusing O'Connell and two other officers of subjecting him to an illegal strip search last year.
Eight other residents have filed complaints in recent years accusing O'Connell of excessive force and other misconduct, according to records obtained by the Associated Press.
Attorney Paul Garlinghouse, attorney for the six plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit, said his clients filed complaints with police, but no action was taken. His lawsuit seeks $9.5 million in damages.
None of the eight complaints resulted in any disciplinary action against O'Connell. Internal affairs investigators said the alleged victims did not pursue their complaints or they were unfounded or, in one case, missed a deadline for filing.
Police reports on the incidents contradict versions by the complainants. One of the complainants pushed O'Connell and threw a punch at him, and O'Connell said another man burned him with a cigarette, according to police reports.
Valerie Myles, who alleged that officers beat her and her cousin, said she did try to pursue her complaint but "evidently it disappeared." A police report charging her cousin with drug violations was filled out by Detective Justen Kasperzyk, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison for planting drug evidence and stealing money from a crime scene.
"They are hot to stamp 'not pursued' on these cases," Garlinghouse said.
Fair's lawsuit accuses the city of postponing a hearing to avoid scrutiny of illegal searches and refusing to act on disciplinary complaints against the officers.
City officials said they could not comment on pending litigation. They also declined to comment on complaints that have been closed.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Correction Officer Lt Thomas Healy Jr Accused of Raping Inmate
A correction officer has been accused of rape and having sexual relations with a female inmate at the Suffolk House of Correction in Roxbury.
Lieutenant Thomas A. Healy, Jr., 41, was released on $1,500 cash bail after his arraignment today in Roxbury Municipal Court where he pleaded not guilty to all charges, which also include indecent assault and battery, according to Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley's office and his attorney, Stephen C. Pfaff.
"We deny the charges,'' Pfaff said in a telephone interview. "He is looking forward to his day in court.''
Pfaff said Healy has been married since 1995, is the father of three children and has an "impeccable record'' during his years working for the sheriff's department.
According to prosecutors, Healy allegedly approached the female prisoner in her cell on Nov. 12, groped her and then raped her.
"The abuse of power and authority here is just repugnant," Conley said in a statement.
Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral's staff initiated the investigation and with the help of the Boston Police Sexual Assault Unit developed enough evidence to charge Healy, prosecutors said.
In a statement, Cabral called Healy's alleged actions "egregious'' and said he will now face an internal disciplinary hearing that could lead to his firing from the department.
The statement did not provide any further information about the incident. Healy has been placed on administrative leave without pay, according to the department.
Cabral today declined a request for an interview with the Globe.
Healy has been employed by the sheriff's department since Sept. 18, 1991.
Healy is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 15.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Officer Kevin Sledge Facing Rape Charges is Free on Bond
LAWRENCE
A Lawrence police officer facing rape and kidnapping charges has been released on $10,000 cash bail.
Chief John Romero says Officer Kevin Sledge was released Friday.
The 46-year-old Sledge, a 15-year veteran, allegedly left his post without permission and picked up an intoxicated 23-year-old woman he came upon on Jackson Street last month. He allegedly sexually assaulted the woman in his car in a parking lot near the police station over a two-hour period before the woman got out of his car and went to the station to report the incident.
Sledge, of Salem, N.H., has been placed on paid administrative leave and stripped of his gun and badge.
Romero says a termination hearing scheduled for last Friday was postponed at the request of the patrolmen’s union’s lawyer until later this month.
___
Information from: The Eagle-Tribune, http://www.eagletribune.com
A Lawrence police officer facing rape and kidnapping charges has been released on $10,000 cash bail.
Chief John Romero says Officer Kevin Sledge was released Friday.
The 46-year-old Sledge, a 15-year veteran, allegedly left his post without permission and picked up an intoxicated 23-year-old woman he came upon on Jackson Street last month. He allegedly sexually assaulted the woman in his car in a parking lot near the police station over a two-hour period before the woman got out of his car and went to the station to report the incident.
Sledge, of Salem, N.H., has been placed on paid administrative leave and stripped of his gun and badge.
Romero says a termination hearing scheduled for last Friday was postponed at the request of the patrolmen’s union’s lawyer until later this month.
___
Information from: The Eagle-Tribune, http://www.eagletribune.com
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Officer Kevin Sledge Hospitalized
LAWRENCE, Mass.
A Lawrence police officer who is charged with kidnapping and raping a woman while on duty was hospitalized overnight after complaining of chest pains.
Police say 46-year-old Kevin Sledge of Salem, N.H., will be checked out Wednesday morning and arraigned if possible.
Sledge is accused of leaving his post at the police booking room early Friday and raping a woman in his own vehicle in a nearby parking lot. He then returned to work.
He was arrested Tuesday morning in New Hampshire and waived extradition, but spent the night under police guard at Lawrence General Hospital.
A Lawrence police officer who is charged with kidnapping and raping a woman while on duty was hospitalized overnight after complaining of chest pains.
Police say 46-year-old Kevin Sledge of Salem, N.H., will be checked out Wednesday morning and arraigned if possible.
Sledge is accused of leaving his post at the police booking room early Friday and raping a woman in his own vehicle in a nearby parking lot. He then returned to work.
He was arrested Tuesday morning in New Hampshire and waived extradition, but spent the night under police guard at Lawrence General Hospital.
Officer Kevin Sledge Arested for Rape while on Duty
A veteran Lawrence police officer is facing rape charges and has lost his job after he allegedly kidnapped a woman off a Lawrence street and repeatedly sexually assaulted her while on duty and in his uniform.
Kevin Sledge was arrested in Pelham, NH earlier today on charges of rape, kidnapping and indecent assault and battery. He agreed to return to Massachusetts. This evening, Sledge is at Lawrence General Hospital undergoing a medical evaluation, said his attorney, Ronald Ranta.
The attorney said he was not certain what symptoms prompted the hospital visit. Depending on his condition, Ranta said Sledge will be arraigned at the hospital or in Lawrence District Court Wednesday.
IN a statement, Ranta defended Sledge. "At this time, we have not been provided with any investigative reports of what Officer Sledge is alleged to have done, or to whom,'' Ranta said in the statement. "It is our desire to expeditiously gather all the facts and vigorously defend Officer Sledge's innocence.''
Lawrence Police Chief John Romero outlined the allegations against the 46-year-old Sledge, who has been on the force for 15 years.
Romero said while on duty and assigned to the booking room early Sept. 26 Sledge left his post, drove in his private car into a Lawrence neighborhood and picked up an apparently inebriated woman.
With the woman in his personal car, he drove back to the station and parked in a nearby lot and returned to work. For about the next 90 minutes, Romero said, Sledge left the station, went to his car and periodically sexually assaulted the woman.
After getting a cell phone call around 4 a.m., a girlfriend of the woman came to the police station to pick the woman up. Sledge, according to Romero, told the girlfriend she was sleeping it off in his car and to come back in an hour.
The woman returned and the alleged victim told her what had happened. The two women immediately notified Sledge's supervisors and a both a civil and criminal investigation began, Romero said.
He said Sledge has been fired by Mayor Michael Sullivan but is entitled under civil service law to a termination hearing, which is now set for Oct. 6.
more information: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iP59JKBWP9Xe5oqd72mRjkUYM2gQD93HE4804
Kevin Sledge was arrested in Pelham, NH earlier today on charges of rape, kidnapping and indecent assault and battery. He agreed to return to Massachusetts. This evening, Sledge is at Lawrence General Hospital undergoing a medical evaluation, said his attorney, Ronald Ranta.
The attorney said he was not certain what symptoms prompted the hospital visit. Depending on his condition, Ranta said Sledge will be arraigned at the hospital or in Lawrence District Court Wednesday.
IN a statement, Ranta defended Sledge. "At this time, we have not been provided with any investigative reports of what Officer Sledge is alleged to have done, or to whom,'' Ranta said in the statement. "It is our desire to expeditiously gather all the facts and vigorously defend Officer Sledge's innocence.''
Lawrence Police Chief John Romero outlined the allegations against the 46-year-old Sledge, who has been on the force for 15 years.
Romero said while on duty and assigned to the booking room early Sept. 26 Sledge left his post, drove in his private car into a Lawrence neighborhood and picked up an apparently inebriated woman.
With the woman in his personal car, he drove back to the station and parked in a nearby lot and returned to work. For about the next 90 minutes, Romero said, Sledge left the station, went to his car and periodically sexually assaulted the woman.
After getting a cell phone call around 4 a.m., a girlfriend of the woman came to the police station to pick the woman up. Sledge, according to Romero, told the girlfriend she was sleeping it off in his car and to come back in an hour.
The woman returned and the alleged victim told her what had happened. The two women immediately notified Sledge's supervisors and a both a civil and criminal investigation began, Romero said.
He said Sledge has been fired by Mayor Michael Sullivan but is entitled under civil service law to a termination hearing, which is now set for Oct. 6.
more information: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iP59JKBWP9Xe5oqd72mRjkUYM2gQD93HE4804
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Boston Officers Mad About Marijuana Rally
Marijuana legalization advocates openly smoked pot at the annual Boston Freedom Rally on Boston Common yesterday, spurring arrests by Boston police.
“It’s one thing to protest the illegality of marijuana, that itself isn’t illegal,” said James Kenneally, BPD spokesman. “People have the right to free expression, but it’s another thing to smoke marijuana, which is an illegal narcotic, during the protest.”
The annual Boston Freedom Rally - described by organizers as “the largest marijuana reform gathering on the East Coast” - drew hundreds of stoners, activists and vendors to the park. They spent the bright, sunny afternoon touting their support for Question 2, which will appear on the ballot in November and would replace criminal penalties for possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana with a fine of no more than $100.
“It’s a thing where we can unite for a cause to legalize weed, man,” said Howlin’ Jack Boone, 27, of Waltham, lead singer of the rally’s headline band, Graveyard BBQ. “This year we’re hoping for decriminalization, next year it’ll be a celebration.”
The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition co-sponsored the event, along with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
“We’re close to winning the first major battle with Question 2, and MassCann won’t stop until it’s legal, regulated and taxed,” said Steven Epstein, co-founder of the coalition.
Yesterday’s rally was “a combination of education and activism,” said Allen St. Pierre, NORML executive director.
Or, as guitarist “Brown Bag” Johnson of Graveyard BBQ put it, “We’re fighting against the man, burning the rope and having a good time.”
The arrests ruined the mellow mood for some participants.
“It’s a real fear. When they arrest you, it’s quick and swift,” said pot enthusiast Rachel Elorrisa, 29, of New Hampshire who admitted to “lighting up” before the rally. “Police are out here in street clothes, and when they arrest, you have to sit in that holding area all day.”
“It’s one thing to protest the illegality of marijuana, that itself isn’t illegal,” said James Kenneally, BPD spokesman. “People have the right to free expression, but it’s another thing to smoke marijuana, which is an illegal narcotic, during the protest.”
The annual Boston Freedom Rally - described by organizers as “the largest marijuana reform gathering on the East Coast” - drew hundreds of stoners, activists and vendors to the park. They spent the bright, sunny afternoon touting their support for Question 2, which will appear on the ballot in November and would replace criminal penalties for possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana with a fine of no more than $100.
“It’s a thing where we can unite for a cause to legalize weed, man,” said Howlin’ Jack Boone, 27, of Waltham, lead singer of the rally’s headline band, Graveyard BBQ. “This year we’re hoping for decriminalization, next year it’ll be a celebration.”
The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition co-sponsored the event, along with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
“We’re close to winning the first major battle with Question 2, and MassCann won’t stop until it’s legal, regulated and taxed,” said Steven Epstein, co-founder of the coalition.
Yesterday’s rally was “a combination of education and activism,” said Allen St. Pierre, NORML executive director.
Or, as guitarist “Brown Bag” Johnson of Graveyard BBQ put it, “We’re fighting against the man, burning the rope and having a good time.”
The arrests ruined the mellow mood for some participants.
“It’s a real fear. When they arrest you, it’s quick and swift,” said pot enthusiast Rachel Elorrisa, 29, of New Hampshire who admitted to “lighting up” before the rally. “Police are out here in street clothes, and when they arrest, you have to sit in that holding area all day.”
Friday, September 12, 2008
Fire Chief Facing Charges of Rape Resigns
Boston Deputy Fire Chief Peter Pearson, facing charges of rape and attempted rape, resigned yesterday and is seeking a pension that could pay him more than $75,000 a year.
Based on calculations of age, years of service, military history, and his three highest paid consecutive years of service, Pearson could receive at least $76,874 a year and as much as $91,459.
Pearson's attorney, Kevin J. Reddington of Brockton, said his client, a 23-year Fire Department member, had no choice but to resign and apply for his pension after receiving notice from the fire administration that his job was in jeopardy. Under the notice, which he received last week, he had 14 days to return to work or he could be fired.
"It appears what Peter has to do to protect his family and his loved ones is to submit the paperwork he did," Reddington said. "He's got many, many years of distinguished service, and he's entitled to retirement."
Pearson was arrested on Aug. 18 after a prostitute in Brockton alleged that he raped her weeks earlier while posing as a State Police officer and showing a gun. He was initially released on $50,000 cash bail.
Within a week, five other women made allegations that he raped or tried to rape them. In all, four of them said he showed a gun. Pearson has since been held under the state's dangerousness statute.
Pearson has been in jail since Aug. 22. He applied for a four-month leave of absence, but Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser rejected the request.
Reddington said Pearson will contest the charges and is appealing his detention. But, he said, Pearson needed to resign and seek his pension once he received the letter.
Retirement pensions are calculated on a complex formula based on age, years of service, history in the military, and the three highest paid consecutive years of service. According to city records, Pearson received an average of $158,539 over the last three years.
The state Board of Retirement calculations said Pearson, 51, is eligible to receive at least $76,874 a year if he retires immediately.
An alternative is to collect a pension at a later time. If he chooses to collect a pension at age 65, he could receive more than $91,459 a year.
City retirement officials have said that employees convicted of criminal charges can have their pensions revoked if their employer petitions the Boston Retirement Board. The officials have said it is very unusual for the board to revoke pensions. It was not clear whether the crime has to be related to job duty.
Individuals who face losing their pensions do have the opportunity to appear before the retirement board and make a case for keeping their retirement benefits.
Steve MacDonald, a spokesman for the Fire Department, said he could not comment on Pearson's salary, saying the issue will go before the city Retirement Board, which must approve city employee retirements.
http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO87698/
Based on calculations of age, years of service, military history, and his three highest paid consecutive years of service, Pearson could receive at least $76,874 a year and as much as $91,459.
Pearson's attorney, Kevin J. Reddington of Brockton, said his client, a 23-year Fire Department member, had no choice but to resign and apply for his pension after receiving notice from the fire administration that his job was in jeopardy. Under the notice, which he received last week, he had 14 days to return to work or he could be fired.
"It appears what Peter has to do to protect his family and his loved ones is to submit the paperwork he did," Reddington said. "He's got many, many years of distinguished service, and he's entitled to retirement."
Pearson was arrested on Aug. 18 after a prostitute in Brockton alleged that he raped her weeks earlier while posing as a State Police officer and showing a gun. He was initially released on $50,000 cash bail.
Within a week, five other women made allegations that he raped or tried to rape them. In all, four of them said he showed a gun. Pearson has since been held under the state's dangerousness statute.
Pearson has been in jail since Aug. 22. He applied for a four-month leave of absence, but Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser rejected the request.
Reddington said Pearson will contest the charges and is appealing his detention. But, he said, Pearson needed to resign and seek his pension once he received the letter.
Retirement pensions are calculated on a complex formula based on age, years of service, history in the military, and the three highest paid consecutive years of service. According to city records, Pearson received an average of $158,539 over the last three years.
The state Board of Retirement calculations said Pearson, 51, is eligible to receive at least $76,874 a year if he retires immediately.
An alternative is to collect a pension at a later time. If he chooses to collect a pension at age 65, he could receive more than $91,459 a year.
City retirement officials have said that employees convicted of criminal charges can have their pensions revoked if their employer petitions the Boston Retirement Board. The officials have said it is very unusual for the board to revoke pensions. It was not clear whether the crime has to be related to job duty.
Individuals who face losing their pensions do have the opportunity to appear before the retirement board and make a case for keeping their retirement benefits.
Steve MacDonald, a spokesman for the Fire Department, said he could not comment on Pearson's salary, saying the issue will go before the city Retirement Board, which must approve city employee retirements.
http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO87698/
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Boston Officer Sentenced to 26 Years
Roberto "Kiko'' Pulido, the rogue Boston police officer who enlisted two fellow patrolman in a brazen scheme to escort trucks bringing cocaine into the city, was sentenced today to 26 years in federal prison by a judge who said the defendant had disgraced his badge.
"The people who wear that badge have a sense of honor,'' US District Judge William G. Young said, staring at Pulido, the ringleader of one of the most notorious police corruption scandals in recent Boston history. "You are ... dead to that sense of honor.''
The sentence was what a federal prosecutor had sought and six years longer than that recommended by Pulido's public defender, who said her client's abuse of steroids contributed to his crimes.
Pulido, who pleaded guilty in the middle of his trial in November to drug trafficking charges, apologized to both the Boston Police Department and the MBTA Transit Police, of which he had previously been a member.
"It was my lifelong goal to be a Boston police officer,'' said Pulido, wearing a khaki-colored jumpsuit and white sneakers. "No one is more disappointed than myself.''
Two rows of the courtroom were filled with supporters and relatives of Pulido. Most of them wore white T-shirts emblazoned with a photograph of a smiling Pulido beneath the words "Kiko We Love You.''
Michael K. Loucks, the first assistant US attorney in Massachusetts, who watched another federal prosecutor argue for the harsh punishment, said afterward that Pulido "deserves every second of that sentence.''
Pulido's guilty plea came on the fourth day of his trial in US District Court in Boston, capping an extraordinary police corruption scandal whose reverberations are still being felt.
In the previous two days, jurors heard a swaggering, expletive-spewing Pulido in two dozen conversations secretly recorded by the FBI as part of a carefully constructed sting that began in late 2003 and culminated with the arrests of Pulido and fellow officers Carlos Pizarro and Nelson Carrasquillo in July 2006. All three officers belonged to a police motorcycle unit.
Pulido and the two officers plotted an audacious scheme with men they thought were drug dealers to protect trucks that brought 140 kilograms of cocaine to Boston. The three officers did not know that the drug dealers were undercover FBI agents and that the cocaine had previously been seized by the government.
On April 23, 2006, Pulido and Carrasquillo monitored Police Department radio channels while a transfer of 40 kilograms of cocaine took place at a garage on Washington Street with the undercover FBI agents, according to prosecutors.
Then on June 8, 2006, the three police officers guided a truck containing about 100 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated wholesale value of more than $2 million from Western Massachusetts to the city, prosecutors said. The officers were paid a total of $51,000 by FBI agents posing as drug dealers.
The three officers were arrested in Miami in July 2006 by federal agent. Shortly before the arrests, the officers had arranged a deal to protect another shipment of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and five kilograms of heroin.
The secret tape-recordings also featured Pulido allegedly running numerous other rackets involving identity fraud, fraudulently obtained store gift cards, steroid sales, and prostitution. Pulido was never charged in those schemes.
Jurors also saw a surveillance photograph of Pulido in a congratulatory embrace of an undercover agent posing as a drug dealer called Big Manny in an Atlantic City casino. Pulido hugged the phony drug dealer after receiving a softball-sized wad of $15,000 that bulged in his pocket.
Although the government had only presented part of its case against Pulido, the tapes and photographs had already made the defendant seem more like a grade B movie crime boss than a crimefighter.
Pulido pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin and two counts of attempting to aid and abet the distribution of the cocaine. He pleaded no contest to a fourth charge of carrying a gun in a drug-trafficking crime.
In a Globe interview from a New Hampshire jail shortly after his plea, Pulido said he was pumped full of steroids when he suggested to undercover agents in Atlantic City that he knew a good way to transport cocaine into Boston.
He said a steroid addiction made him exaggerate many of the statements he made on the surveillance tapes and called many of his comments pure fantasy. In his mind at the time, he said, he was playing a role in a Hollywood movie. He even recited lines from "Training Day,'' the film about a corrupt officer.
"Anyone who knows me knows that I was acting,'' he said. "It was pure puffery.''
Pulido's co-defendants, Carrasquillo and Pizarro, were recently sentenced to 18 years and 13 years, respectively, after pleading guilty last year.
Authorities in March also charged an acquaintance of Pulido with helping to plant drugs and a gun on an innocent man and then breaking into his apartment to steal a safe containing $18,000 as part of a conspiracy with the rogue officer.
In addition, as many as a dozen Boston police officers have been summoned before a federal grand jury investigating steroid use and after-hours parties -- an offshoot of the probe that led to the convictions of the three officers, three law enforcement officials familiar with the case told the Globe in March.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Officer Thomas Joyce Arrested Near St. Patty's Parade
Officer Thomas Joyce Accused Of Breaking Into Women's Home In Savannah
A Boston police officer was arrested near a St. Patrick's Day festival in Savannah, Ga., Friday night after forcing his way into the home of two women, police said.
Officer Thomas Joyce, of Roxbury, was arrested after he allegedly broke into the women's home in the 500 block of East State Street around 10:30 p.m. Savannah police said he assaulted the women by physically restraining them and then pulling them out of their home, holding them against their will.
Patrolling officers arrested Joyce, 46, and charged him with false imprisonment, battery, obstruction and criminal trespass after the victims identified him as their assailant, police said.
His motive for attacking for the women and whether he knew them or not is unknown.He was taken to the Chatham County jail.Savannah police said they arrested dozens of other people in the downtown area where the festival was held.
A Boston police officer was arrested near a St. Patrick's Day festival in Savannah, Ga., Friday night after forcing his way into the home of two women, police said.
Officer Thomas Joyce, of Roxbury, was arrested after he allegedly broke into the women's home in the 500 block of East State Street around 10:30 p.m. Savannah police said he assaulted the women by physically restraining them and then pulling them out of their home, holding them against their will.
Patrolling officers arrested Joyce, 46, and charged him with false imprisonment, battery, obstruction and criminal trespass after the victims identified him as their assailant, police said.
His motive for attacking for the women and whether he knew them or not is unknown.He was taken to the Chatham County jail.Savannah police said they arrested dozens of other people in the downtown area where the festival was held.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Former Boston police officer sentenced to 18 years in drug case
A federal judge has sentenced a former Boston police officer to 18 years in prison for protecting a cocaine shipment for FBI agents posing as drug dealers.
Nelson Carrasquillo was jailed Monday, nearly three months after the first of two colleagues was sentenced to a 13-year prison term for conspiring to protect what they believed was 100 kilograms of cocaine.
The three policemen were arrested in 2006 after they went to Miami to collect $36,000 from people they thought were drug dealers.
They had been hired to escort a truck they believed was carrying cocaine.
All three pleaded guilty.
U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan says the 36-year-old Carrasquillo provided counter-surveillance services, monitored Boston Police radio communication and helped guide a drug shipment.
Nelson Carrasquillo was jailed Monday, nearly three months after the first of two colleagues was sentenced to a 13-year prison term for conspiring to protect what they believed was 100 kilograms of cocaine.
The three policemen were arrested in 2006 after they went to Miami to collect $36,000 from people they thought were drug dealers.
They had been hired to escort a truck they believed was carrying cocaine.
All three pleaded guilty.
U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan says the 36-year-old Carrasquillo provided counter-surveillance services, monitored Boston Police radio communication and helped guide a drug shipment.
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