From shooting themselves in the hand while selling a gun to eavesdropping on a police chief’s private phone call, here are a few weird and disturbing misconduct violations found in the state’s database of Massachusetts police disciplinary records.
More than 3,400 records were released Tuesday by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, the state body tasked with regulating and licensing law enforcement in Massachusetts. Hundreds are already being challenged by the Springfield Police Department.
The database offers the public a look at alleged incidents of bias, use of excessive force, untruthfulness, criminal charges, and a plethora of other incidents that fall under the “other category.”
The following is a selection from the 3,413 entries:
Nice shot
A Millbury Police Department officer apparently needed to work on their aim and gun safety skills in November 2012. “Engaging in personal business on duty,” state records said. “Selling a personal firearm and while doing so, shot himself in the hand.” The officer received a suspension of between six and 29 days, records said.
Not so private
Private phone calls at the Harvard University Police Department may not have been as confidential as some might have thought. “Employee alleged to have eavesdropped on the chief’s phone during a confidential call. Employee terminated, but reinstated via police union arbitration process,” state records said of a July 2008 incident.
Sleeping on the job
Officers around the state have been accused and received suspensions for sleeping while on duty. In one instance, an officer at North Shore Community College was viewed on duty in a room with lights off sitting in a chair asleep, state records said. “During meeting to discuss event, information he provided was not accurate. Abandoned post and was in an unathorized [sic] area while on duty. Found sleeping by a department manager while on duty but denied the alligations [sic],” state records said of a September 2018 incident.
Inappropriate remarks and unwanted touching
An officer with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences was terminated from their position after making false statements to investigators and not disclosing prior employment terminations. The officer was also accused of making “inappropriate remarks about people with autism” and engaging in “unwanted sexual touching of a male dispatcher,” according to records in the database. An incident date is listed as March 15, 2015. “Entered the men’s locker room on numerous occasions without authority,” the records said.
‘Sick’ time
An officer at the Somerset Police Department was accused of abusing sick leave, feigning an illness, and making a false 911 call. “Failing to conduct himself as to a good example,” the records add before showing the officer received a suspension of between one and five days.
Excessive force at 2011 marathon
A Boston College police officer is accused of using excessive, non-deadly force during the 2011 Boston Marathon, an incident which earned a suspension of between one and five days, state records show. “Physically grabbed several subjects by the arms from behind and pulled them away from Marathon route,” state records said. “Shoved people attempting to cross the Marathon route.”
Worcester dating dilemma
One Worcester Police Department officer had quite an eventful career in the late 1990s. From calling a dispatcher a “(expletive) moron” over the air to threatening to shoot a gas company employee, the officer racked up multiple multi-day suspensions and written reprimands. “Complainant and officer were dating the same individual at the time,” reads one entry on the officer’s disciplinary record history. The officer is accused of berating a citizen while off-duty, using abusive language multiple times, making “inappropriate remarks” based on race and social class prejudices, and engaging in a “harassing phone call,” according to state records.
Traffic ticket? What traffic ticket?
A cop in Abington offered in September 2014 to change a traffic citation from a money fine to a written warning “in exchange for information regarding criminal activity (drug activity) in town,” one disciplinary record entry reads. The offer received a written reprimand, according to state records. A year later the officer was accused of engaging in a verbal argument with another office “during which he used profanity and allegedly challenged the other officer to engage in a physical altercation.” And in 2022, the officer was accused to have violated social media policy with an “offensive Facebook post” regarding the town’s Board of Selectmen, according to state records.
Need for speed
A Westfield Police Department officer responded to a breaking and entering report “at speeds greater than reasonable (up to 98 miles per hour),” state records said. The officer did not stop for a stop sign and turned left in front of a car “causing him to collide,” records said. The officer received a suspension of between six and 29 days, state records said.
You can find all these reports on the state site.
