A retired Boston transit police officer and two of his supervisors have been charged with the beating of a homeless man last year and their attempts to cover up the crime.
According to a statement from Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins, Dorston Bartlett, who retired from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority last year, has been accused of striking a homeless man multiple times using a baton at the Ashmont station last year. A lengthy investigation found that Bartlett arrested the homeless man after beating him and attempted to falsely charge him with assault and battery on a police officer.
Bartlett’s shift officer, Sgt. David Finerty allegedly drafted a report that was later submitted by Bartlett, and signed off by the shift patrol supervisor, Sgt. Kenny Orcel.
"The conduct alleged in these indictments is unacceptable at every level," Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement Wednesday. "Actions like these undermine the hard work of countless honest, professional police officers and seriously erode trust in law enforcement."
Several indictments were issued by the grand jury with Bartlett, 65, Finnerty, 45, and Orcel, 55, charged with making a false report as a public officer or employee.
Finnerty and Orcel were also indicted as accessories after the fact to assault and battery. The three officers’ charges stem from the alleged collusion to create a false incident report from Bartlett’s encounter with the homeless man.
The indictments also charge Bartlett with misleading a police officer on suspicion of providing false statements to the Boston police officers who responded to the scene that morning. Bartlett also faces another assault and battery charge that stems from him allegedly grabbing and pushing the victim while he was being booked, the district attorney’s office said.
“Words cannot express the extreme disappointment I have in the officers who violated the victim’s and the public’s trust in such an egregious manner,” Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police Chief Kenneth Green said in a statement Wednesday. "However, I refuse to allow the corrupt actions of these individuals to tarnish the vast majority of the men and women of the Transit Police who day in and day out wear their badges and perform their duties with honor and integrity."
The scheme was found out after a member of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police command staff learned about the beating and reviewed a preliminary draft of the report, as well as surveillance video from cameras at the Ashmont station. The command officer ordered the victim be immediately released without charges and launched a criminal investigation against the officers.
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