State Trooper Indicted On Assault Charges For Shooting At ATV On I-93
BOSTON (CBS) - A State trooper is facing assault and battery charges for firing at an ATV during an incident last year on I-93 South.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's office says Trooper Matthew Sheehan was with 13 other troopers trying to corral a group of ATV and dirt bike riders who were driving recklessly.
Sheehan was the only one who fired his weapon during the incident. "He used his department-issued semi-automatic rifle that he retrieved from his cruiser just prior to the encounter," according to investigators.
The investigation showed the ATV was also not close to hitting the trooper and did not meet the threshold to fire his weapon.
District Attorney Rachael Rollins said seven of the eight people arrested in the incident have been prosecuted and had their cases resolved. One case remains pending.
"They are being held accountable," District Attorney Rollins said. "The actions of these individuals should not have prompted a trained law enforcement professional to respond with deadly force, as we allege."
Trooper Sheehan has been suspended without pay since early 2018 when an Internal Affairs case for inappropriate social media postings was opened. He will remain suspended without pay for the duration of the criminal proceedings.
Sheehan will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on October 10.