Ex-Revere Officer Accused Of Assaulting Blogger At Dunkin Donuts
REVERE (CBS) - A former Revere police officer already in trouble with federal authorities is now accused of assaulting a local blogger.
Todd Randall plead guilty in September to lying to investigators in an ongoing corruption case and is awaiting sentencing. He was accused of taking a $200 bribe while on duty and later lying about it to the FBI.
Federal prosecutors just released surveillance video they say shows Randall instigating a fight with local blogger Richard Ireton, shortly after his plea deal.
WBZ-TV's Alana Gomez reports.
Authorities say the video shows Ireton having coffee with a friend at a Revere Dunkin Donuts when Randall walks in the door and hits Ireton in the head from behind. The two men then engage in a fistfight.
Ireton says Randall took issue with articles he wrote about him on his website.
"There was a mention about I'm humiliating the family. I didn't commit these crimes. I didn't bring this on their family, the individual did himself," said Ireton.
Ireton says his attorneys advised him to stop writing about Randall, but Ireton says the incident will not keep him from writing about other issues.
"I'm not gonna stop blogging. It's just not gonna happen," said Ireton.
After a judge saw the surveillance video, Randall's bail was revoked and he was placed back in custody.
Randall resigned from the Revere Police Department in August. The sentencing for his corruption case is Dec. 13.
