Local News

Boston police officer criminally charged after allegedly leaving loaded gun unsecured in vehicle

Sean Cullen is accused of leaving his fully loaded department-issued gun and taser unsecured in his vehicle.

March 31, 2026

1 minute to read

A Boston police officer is facing criminal charges after police responding to his home found his department-issued gun and his taser unsecured in his vehicle, prosecutors said.

Sean Cullen faces a felony charge of improper storage of a large capacity firearm and a misdemeanor charge of improper storage of a firearm in January, records in West Roxbury District Court.

The charges against Cullen, a Boston police officer since 2015, stem from a domestic dispute in December, which prompted officers to request the officer’s firearms, a spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

Cullen pleaded not guilty in court earlier this month and was released on personal recognizance, court records show. Boston police did not return a request for comment, but confirmed to MassLive that the officer was placed on administrative leave.

Police responded to Cullen’s West Roxbury home Dec. 28 “for a domestic verbal dispute between him and his girlfriend,” the spokesperson said.

“Out of precaution, officers requested Cullen’s firearms and that is when Cullen disclosed that his department-issued firearm was in his vehicle,” according to the DA’s office.

Citing the police report, the DA’s spokesperson said the large capacity firearm was his department-issued firearm. Both his taser stun gun and police weapon “were holsters but left unsecured in his vehicle.”

According to MassLive, Cullen pulled a fully loaded gun out of the driver’s seat area and the holstered taser was in the rear cargo area.

Earlier this month, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, the state’s police watchdog, suspended Cullen’s law enforcement certification — protocol for any officer arrested, charged, or indicted for a felony.

Cullen earned $195,000 last year, according to city payroll records. His lawyer, Keith Nicholson, did not return a request for comment.