Officer who bragged about hitting protesters gets suspension
Oct 9, 2021, 8:46 AM | Updated: 8:48 am
BOSTON (AP) — A Boston police sergeant seen on body camera footage bragging about striking protesters with his car during demonstrations over George Floyd’s killing will serve an unpaid suspension of at least eight days.
An internal investigation concluded that Clifton McHale’s statements were “unbecoming of a police officer,” but investigators found he did not hit anyone with his vehicle, Sgt. Detective John Boyle, a police spokesperson, said.
McHale has to serve eight days of 10-day suspension starting on Monday. If he stays out of trouble for six months, he won’t have to serve the remaining two days.
McHale didn’t respond to emails from The Boston Globe. The Associated Press left a phone message Saturday with his union, the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation.
The video footage was previously published by The Appeal, which obtained it from an attorney who was representing people arrested during last year’s demonstrations.
The attorney, Carlton Williams, called the 10-day punishment for McHale “outrageous.”
“When do you say a guy shouldn’t be a cop anymore?” Williams told WBUR. “These guys are supposed to be making sure that people can protest freely. We need officers who care about our safety.”
Acting Mayor Kim Janey said Friday that “the facts of this case are indefensible.”
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