Massachusetts State Trooper Indicted for Shooting at ATV Riders on Central Artery

A Massachusetts State Trooper is facing assault and battery charges for firing at an ATV rider during an incident last year on the Central Artery.

Suspended state trooper
Image via WBZ/CBS News

– News covered by Quincy Quarry News with commentary added.

Massachusetts State Trooper Indicted for shooting at ATV riders on Central Artery.

The state trooper Indicted on assault and battery charges for shooting at ATV riders while he and 13 other troopers were trying to corral a group of ATV and dirt bike riders who were driving recklessly; however, the indicted trooper was the only one who fired his weapon during the incident. “He used his department-issued semi-automatic rifle that he retrieved from his cruiser just prior to the encounter,” according to investigators.

No donut, no pay and probably no pension
A John L. French book book book cover

Investigators also noted that the targeted ATV rider was not close to hitting the trooper as well as did not meet the risk threshold to fire a weapon in self defense.

Not noted, however, is the implicit likelihood that the indicted trouper appears to have refused to plead out.

In any event, the trooper has been suspended without pay since early 2018 when an Internal Affairs case was opened over contemporaneous interrelated inappropriate social media postings hit the fan on Facebook in violation of department policy.

Needless to say, the trooper will remain suspended without pay for (at least, ed.) the duration of the criminal proceedings against him.  That and if he is convicted on felony charges, he will also lose his not self-funded pension benefits.

Source: State Trooper Indicted On Assault Charges For Shooting At ATV On I-93

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