BOSTON — A former MBTA Transit Police Officer who forcibly removed an intoxicated homeless Black man from a bus at Forest Hill’s train station is now the focus of a criminal investigation.
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins announced her office is looking into the circumstances of the case after video surveillance of the incident did not agree with facts MBTA Officer Nicholas Morrissey wrote in his report of the incident.
The alleged incident took place on April 28. Officer Morrissey responded because the homeless man refused to get off the bus at its final stop.
Officer Morrissey said, when he got on the bus, the 63-year-old homeless man tried to spit at him. The two got into a struggle, the homeless man lost his balance and then fell out of the bus.
But video surveillance allegedly shows a different set of facts.
In a statement, Rollins said the video allegedly shows Morrissey, “dragged a homeless, intoxicated man from an MBTA bus on the Forest Hills busway and forcibly held the 63-year-old face-down with a knee on his back for 20 seconds, pushed his head into the pavement, and later dragged him out of the bus lane.”
On May 29, a month after the incident, Morrissey quit his job before termination proceedings could begin.
In a statement, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said, “The alleged events, as described, are contrary to the core values and mission of the MBTA and its police department. Transit Police officers receive specialized training in de-escalation techniques and are expected to treat riders with dignity and respect at all times. We take this matter very seriously.”
The homeless man was not seriously hurt, but went sent to a nearby hospital and treated for abrasions.
Officer Morrissey’s supervisor is now on administrative leave.
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