BOSTON — The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission says it will not investigate Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox following a request from Alan Jackson, Karen Read’s lead attorney.
In a scathing letter sent to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Jackson demanded that the BPD head be placed on Boston’s “Brady List” for officers with credibility issues, accusing Cox of misleading reporters about his knowledge of the Read murder case.
In its response, the POST Commission explained that Cox is considered a “civilian,” meaning the agency lacks authority to investigate him. The commission added that it is reviewing its policies regarding civilian oversight of law enforcement agencies.
Jackson’s letter centered around Commissioner Cox’s comments on July 10, when he denied knowledge that then-Boston police officer Kelly Dever was involved in the Read case before she was called to testify. Dever was working dispatch for the Canton Police Department when John O’Keefe was found dead.
“I have nothing to do with Karen Read. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even know this person was associated with the Karen Read case,” Cox said at the time.
While Cox stated he was unaware that one of his former officers was a witness in the case, records show the FBI emailed Cox about Dever’s involvement, according to Jackson. His official schedule also included a meeting with Dever.
In a copy of the email sent to Boston 25 News, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Kelleher wrote to Cox: “Just a reminder, the documents were released to the DA’s office late last night. The officer we spoke about is Kelly Dever.”
“Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox has been caught in a lie — and not a small one,” Jackson wrote in the letter to Mayor Wu.
Dever resigned from her position with the Boston police in September. While Dever was on the stand, the defense implied that Cox influenced her testimony.
Dever confirmed she had a conversation with Cox about the murder case at some point before taking the stand in the retrial, but she denied getting any guidance.
“Cox’s televised claim that he ‘had nothing to do with Karen Read’ and didn’t even know this person [Kelly Dever] was associated with the Karen Read case’ was a bald-faced lie — one immediately disproven by documentary evidence originating from the Federal Bureau of Investigation itself,” Jackson wrote in the letter. “For the Commissioner to suggest that he had ‘nothing to do with that case’ defies both logic and leadership. Common sense tells us he had everything to do with it.”
Jackson also called on the POST commission to initiate a full disciplinary analysis for “dishonesty, lack of candor, and conduct unbecoming of an officer.”
Read the POST Commission’s full response to Jackson:
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