State Trooper In Marathon Photo Flap Placed On Restricted Duty
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (CBS/AP) — The Massachusetts State Police veteran who released arrest photos of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect without permission has been placed on restricted, or "desk duty," after a hearing Tuesday.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Bernice Corpuz reports
State Trooper In Marathon Photo Flap Placed On Restricted Duty
Murphy will remain on restricted duty, or "desk-duty," until a full internal investigation is complete.
The closed hearing for Sgt. Sean Murphy took place before a three-person panel at department headquarters in Framingham.
After the hearing, Murphy's lawyer said Murphy was unauthorized to speak to the media but his son Connor Murphy, 19, was allowed to address the press.
"I support him 100-percent," his son said. "I couldn't be prouder of him."
Murphy's lawyer detailed the support Murphy has received from the public and the marathon bombing survivors and victims -- including the family of slain MIT Police Officer Sean Collier.
As Murphy was walking into the hearing Tuesday morning, he told reporters "life is good."
Murphy was relieved of his duty for one day for the unauthorized release of photos to Boston magazine. They show a bloodied Dzhokhar Tsarnaev with the red dot of a sniper's rifle locked on his forehead.
Murphy served the one-day relief of duty on Monday. State Police say Sgt. Murphy has not been suspended and was paid for the day that he was relieved.
The magazine says Murphy offered the photos because he was angry over the glamorous picture of Tsarnaev on Rolling Stone magazine's cover.
Hours after Tuesday's hearing, a Massachusetts State Police spokesman issued the following statement about Murphy: "State Police will conduct an internal investigation into Sgt. Murphy's release of departmental photographs to a media outlet last week. The investigation, which is expected to take several weeks to complete at the minimum, will determine whether Sgt. Murphy violated State Police rules, regulations, policies or procedures. State Police took from Sgt. Murphy his use-of-force equipment, badge, and identification, and he will be assigned to administrative duties while on restricted duty. Additionally, he is being transferred from the Office of Media Relations to the Division of Field Services."
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