Mass. correction officer has made ‘unbelievable recovery’ after severe beating from inmate

SHIRLEY, Mass. — Matthew Tidman, a Massachusetts correction officer, has made an “unbelievable step forward in his recovery” after he was attacked by an inmate in the medium-security facility back in August.

Tidman, 36, suffered injuries that were, at the time, considered life-threatening. Now nearly 2 months later Tidman is “walking, eating and determined to get out of the hospital,” according to Kevin Flanagan, the Legislative Representative for Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union.

Tidman was transferred out of Lahey Medical Center in Burlington to a rehabilitation facility to continue his work on getting stronger.

“Although he still needs many surgeries in the future this is an unbelievable step forward,” Flanagan said. “Matt, through his family, can’t thank everyone enough for all the thoughts and prayers and it is no doubt that the strength of his brothers and sisters is a driving force in his recovery to get better.”

On August 31, Correctional Officer Tidman, who worked at MCI-Shirley, was supervising inmates in the recreation area of the prison, when his accused assailant, Roy L. Booth, Jr., 40, struck him from behind with a metal pole. Union officials say he fell to the floor where he was repeatedly hit again.

Investigators said that Tidman’s fellow corrections officers restrained Booth after the attack and provided Tidman with aid in the aftermath of the attack. Booth was immediately transferred to protective custody at MCI-Souza Baranowski, a facility adjacent to Shirley.

The Middlesex DA’s office obtained video footage of the incident and conducted interviews at the facility. The investigation revealed that Booth had allegedly unscrewed the object used to strike Tidman, which had been part of a weight-lifting machine, and concealed it as he approached Tidman and attacked.

Booth has been charged with armed assault with intent to murder, assault, and battery causing serious bodily injury, and mayhem. Booth is currently serving a life sentence for murder out of Virginia. He was transferred to Massachusetts in March 2021 to serve his sentence as part of the Interstate Corrections Compact, in which inmates are transferred between states.

A GoFundMe fundraiser for Matthew Tidman has collected over $116,000 in donations as of Thursday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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