Anti-vax cop claims retaliation
Claims ‘cooked up’ charges are result of dissent over policy
A Boston Police sergeant says she was placed on leave amid “cooked up” charges and is accusing Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration of retaliating against her over her criticism of the city’s vaccine mandate.
Sgt. Shana Cottone, the founder of the Boston First Responders United group that opposes Wu’s expanding vaccine mandate, was relieved of her gun and badge on Saturday. An internal affairs complaint that was obtained by the Boston Herald outlines four charges against her — three related to her handling of incidents involving the mayor.
“She has no tolerance for dissent and she is going to make an example of me to not only try and shut me up, but let anyone else know that for the duration of her term as mayor, if you dare challenge her or speak against her, say goodbye to your career,” Cottone said Monday in an interview.
A four-page IA report outlines allegations against Cottone, who was once lauded for her police work for coming to the scene of the second Boston Marathon bombing to render medical aid and who the department honored in 2015 for rescuing residents and a pet from a burning North
End building while off-duty.
She’s accused of failing to obey a direct order on Dec. 23 during a roll call in Mattapan that Wu was attending; complaining about the department’s duty to send police protection to Wu’s home on Dec. 21; and inappropriately telling an officer not to activate her body camera during a Jan. 4 protest at Wu’s Roslindale home.
A fourth IA charge against Cottone is a citizen complaint from last February dealing with her handling of a vehicle issue.
Cottone calls the charges “cooked up” and “bogus.”
The Dec. 23 allegation doesn’t describe Cottone’s alleged misdeeds beyond saying she “failed to obey a direct order given.” Cottone said she “assumed” it dealt with her refusal to stop filming a pregnant BPD officer who was begging Wu not to go forward with the mandate during the roll call. She said other incidents are mischaracterized.
The department’s body camera use policy instructs officers to turn on cameras only when they “reasonably” expect destruction or escalation. The Dec. 21 protest involved five people, according to the report.
“This is 1,000% retaliatory,” Cottone said. “These cases were concocted as some type of political retaliation for my first amendment activities speaking on behalf of Boston First Responders United.”
Wu diverted when asked about the matter by a Herald reporter on Monday.
“I’m told that there’s an internal affairs investigation pending in this case. I don’t have any further details,” she said.
Her office declined further comment further.
Cottone, who serves in the Boston Police Department E-F barracks which includes Wu’s Roslindale neighborhood, typically serves as patrol supervisor, she told the Herald.