BOSTON — A Boston police officer who drove Mayor Michelle Wu at the time of a June crash contributed to the accident – but won’t face disciplinary action, according to records obtained by 25 Investigates.
Boston Police Captain Leighton Facey, of the police chief’s office, said the officer contributed to the crash “by driving her vehicle contrary to the traffic signal.”
Facey made that statement in a July 20 letter to Police Commissioner Michael Cox.
Facey, however, did not recommend any action against the driver.
Facey said he disagreed with findings in an initial June police investigation – authored by a sergeant detective who responded to the crash – that found the driver “did not cause” the crash.
25 Investigates broke the news of the crash in June.
For months, 25 Investigates has fought for the release of the crash investigation. We took our fight to the Secretary of State’s office, which ordered Boston Police to provide a response to 25 Investigates.
Boston Police released the records to 25 Investigates around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
In June, a Boston police officer driving the mayor to an event at a library went through a red light with her cruiser lights activated in an unmarked car. A police report says the lights and signal were both activated.
Another car that had a green light hit the car driving Wu at a busy intersection in Roslindale.
A mother and her one-year-old toddler were in that car and suffered minor injuries.
Police Sergeant Detective Cary Chin, a patrol supervisor who responded to the crash, investigated the crash for Boston Police. 25 Investigates also obtained that investigative report.
Chin’s June 26 report said that the officer driving Wu followed procedures and did not cause the crash.
The officer “was acting in a responsible matter [sic] while operating her assigned unit department motor vehicle and obeying the traffic laws. I find that there is no need for counseling or further investigation regarding this motor vehicle crash.”
A month later – Facey told Commissioner Cox that he found the officer did contribute to the accident by driving against the traffic signal.
“I do not fully agree with the findings of Sergeant Detective Cary Chin in this investigation,” Facey said.
Facey said video footage shows the driver came to a complete stop at the red light at Blakemore and Hyde Park Ave.
[ Video shows cruiser driving Boston Mayor Michelle Wu appear to cause crash after running red light ]
“The officer then drove slowly into the intersection, appearing to exercise caution and due regard in accordance with standard practices of a Department Motor vehicle operating with emergency equipment activated,” reads Facey’s letter to Cox. “However, by driving her vehicle contrary to the traffic signal, the officer did contribute to the accident.”
But Facey said he did not recommend any further actions against the officer, writing: “In arriving at my recommendation, I considered the following factors: the officer was trained in dignitary protection procedures and was exercising her discretion with care and due regard, following standing operational practices of the Dignitary Protection Unit and the Boston Police Department as a whole and in other such escort circumstances and that this is the first Department Motor Vehicle accident in which the officer’s actions resulted or contributed to the incident.”
He then wrote: “Therefore, I recommend that no actions be taken against the officer in this matter.”
25 Investigates reached out to Mayor’s Wu office and asked her if she wants to change the policy to address whether her drivers can go through red lights to transport her to non-emergency events.
Wu was on the way to an event at Copley Library when the officer put on emergency lights to go through a red light.
A spokesperson for Wu said that 25 Investigates should: “reach out to BPD directly with these questions about the captain’s findings and their dignitary protection policies.”
25 Investigates has asked Boston Police if they are considering changing their policy for whether officers can go through red lights when driving public officials during non-emergency situations.
A BPD spokesperson told Boston 25 News that the department has no plans to change its policy.
Wu Crash Police Reports Edited by Boston 25 Desk on Scribd
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