Statie indicted in shooting of ATV rider
A Massachusetts State Police trooper has been indicted on assault charges for firing a semiautomatic rifle at an ATV and injuring the operator during a February 2018 highway chase.
A Suffolk County grand jury returned indictments charging Matthew Sheehan with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to a press release. Sheehan will be arraigned at a magistrate’s session of Suffolk Superior Court on Oct. 10.
“Every day I have the honor of working with law enforcement officers who uphold the law and keep our communities safe,’’ Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. “Members of law enforcement have a special role in society and overwhelmingly, these officers serve with distinction, courage and compassion for the communities they protect. Unfortunately, there are a small number whose actions are unacceptable and, as we allege here, criminal.”
State police spokesman David Procopio said in a statement, “The Department recognizes the seriousness of the alleged offenses contained in this indictment and will take appropriate action following, and based upon, the outcome of the upcoming judicial proceedings.”
Sheehan had been among a group of 13 law enforcement officers working to stop a pack of 2530 reckless ATV and dirt bike riders late in the afternoon Feb. 24, 2018, on Interstate 93 south.
Sheehan fired a semi-automatic rifle he retrieved from his vehicle instead of the handgun officers carry at their hips. He was the only one to fire a weapon.
An investigation showed Sheehan fired two rounds. One of the bullets entered the side of the ATV’s tire, not the front, meaning the vehicle was parallel to Sheehan and not heading toward him, “thus not presenting the imminent danger” that would permit the use of “potentially deadly force in self-defense,” the press release said.
Sheehan has been suspended without pay since early 2018 because of a state police Internal Affairs investigation regarding inappropriate social media postings, Procopio said. Sheehan will remain suspended without pay during the course of the criminal proceedings and any subsequent internal investigation.
Eight of the ATV and dirt bike riders involved in the incident were arrested. Seven of their cases have been resolved, and one remains pending.
“They are being held accountable,’’ Rollins said. “The actions of these individuals should not have prompted a trained law enforcement professional to respond with deadly force, as we allege.”