How Mass. officials, Boston police union have reacted to controversial body cam videos
“The body camera footage we’ve seen so far is disturbing and inexcusable."
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Local and state officials are calling for an investigation into police behavior during racial justice demonstrations in Boston on May 31 after controversial officer-worn body camera footage captured that night was published last week.
The videos, which surfaced in a report by The Appeal, show police spraying pepper spray to force back crowds, shoving nonviolent protestors to the ground, and one sergeant detailing how he possibly hit people with a car.
Mayor Marty Walsh, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins — who is quoted in the article — and other officials reacted to the footage as it was released Friday, and more have weighed in since then, including the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, the largest union representing department personnel.
“As soon as these videos were brought to my attention, I immediately ordered my Bureau of Professional Standards to open and conduct a thorough and fair investigation into this matter, and the totality of circumstances involved,” Boston Police Commissioner William Gross said in a statement. “I have placed a sergeant involved in this incident on administrative leave and I will take any additional action as necessary at the conclusion of the investigation. I want to encourage people to bring these matters to our attention so that we can investigate them appropriately.”
A Boston police spokesman told Boston.com on Friday the department has opened an internal affairs investigation on “what the report brought to our attention” but could not comment further.
Here’s what other officials and groups are saying:
Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association
The association released the following statement on Saturday:
“On a night where 30 police officers went to the hospital, hundreds more were treated for trauma and injuries sustained after being pelted with a seemingly endless stream of rocks, bottles, batteries, bricks, bleach, urine and kerosene, we have a defense attorney who, after stitching together several contextually deficient video snippets, wants you to believe the real enemy in the city that night was the men and women of the BPD. The reality-altering effort and insult aside, the fact remains, the violence and hatred perpetrated against our officers and our City that night will forever be engrained in the minds and memories of our officers and their families because of the damage done by the cop-hating anarchists and agitators who showed up to a peaceful protest armed for violence and looking for a fight.”
(In separate tweets, both the reporter behind the Appeal story, Eoin Higgins, and the defense attorney involved, Carl Williams, confirmed Higgins compiled the video clips, not Williams.)
BPPA releases statement relative to misleading media accounts falsely accusing #BPD Officers of police misconduct on May 31, 2020. pic.twitter.com/fUlhgxj9j3
— Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association (BPPA) (@BostonPatrolmen) December 19, 2020
Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey
Healey released this statement late Friday night:
“The body camera footage we’ve seen so far is disturbing and inexcusable. This callous behavior further stresses the importance of advancing police reform in our state, particularly when it comes to use of force standards and accountability. We need a full investigation into what happened that night to hold accountable anyone who acted unlawfully.”
Mass. Senate President Karen Spilka
Spilka, an Ashland Democrat, spoke to Boston 25 News on Sunday about the videos: “Certainly, I think it’s important that the incidents that were very disturbing get investigated and looked into.”
Boston City Councilor and candidate for mayor Michelle Wu
Wu tweeted this statement Friday night:
“Not only does this footage show the very behavior that protesters gathered to speak out against, but it was also withheld from public records requests.
“Beyond accountability, we also need a change in culture at BPD & a change in leadership to stop deflecting responsibility.”
Not only does this footage show the very behavior that protesters gathered to speak out against, but it was also withheld from public records requests.
Beyond accountability, we also need a change in culture at BPD & a change in leadership to stop deflecting responsibility. https://t.co/CstN7uuYVK
— Michelle Wu 吳弭 (@wutrain) December 18, 2020
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