BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Massachusetts Attorney General has found no cause for criminal changes against Suffolk County DA Rachael Rollins, after an alleged "road rage" incident at South Bay Plaza in Boston.
AG Maura Healey's Office said it examined video and audio from the Christmas Eve confrontation at South Bay between resident Katie Lawson, who was in her own car, and Rollins, who was in a state vehicle with lights and a siren.
In the case Lawson admitted that Rollins had the right of way in the encounter, but Lawson attempted to merge into her lane anyway. Lawson said Rollins then turned on her emergency siren and threatened to give Lawson a ticket, while saying "don't try me."
Rollins denied making a statement about a ticket, but did acknowledge that she used her emergency alerts to try to avoid a crash.
Lawson also alleged that Rollins sped through a red light in a right-turn-only lane following the confrontation.
Healey's office said many of the cameras at the plaza were set very far away or were not working, leading the evidence to be inconclusive. The cameras also do not show if the light was red at the time Rollins drove through it.
They added that after interviews and a thorough investigation, they found no civil rights or criminal statutes violations from Rollins.
The incident is now being referred to the State Ethics Commission for review.
Following the AG announcement on Thursday, Rollins' counsel Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. released the following statement:
"We are glad that the Attorney General's office took this seriously and conducted a thorough and independent investigation. Their findings confirm what District Attorney Rollins has said from the beginning: she had the right-of-way and took necessary actions to avoid an accident. The Attorney General concluded that there were no civil rights or criminal law violations. The District Attorney understands that the Attorney General's office made a routine referral of this matter to the Massachusetts Ethics Commission. DA Rollins welcomes this review after the Attorney General has found no merit to the allegations lodged against her and fully expects a quick resolution by the ethics commission as well. DA Rollins looks forward to continuing the fight for justice and upholding her sworn duties on behalf of the people of the commonwealth."
WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) reports.
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Written by Rachel Armany
(Photo: Kim Tunnicliffe/WBZ NewsRadio)