A former Somerville police officer and one-time chief of the officers union there has admitted “sufficient facts” that he pepper-sprayed a handcuffed man in 2019.
Michael McGrath admitted this week in Cambridge District Court that there have been adequate info to convict him ought to his case go to trial.
Defendants can admit to adequate info of their case after having pleaded not responsible — which he pleaded at his arraignment on the costs on Nov. 13, 2020 — which in keeping with Massachusetts legislation permits them to nonetheless be convicted on the costs with out admitting guilt.
Judge David Frank continued the matter with no discovering, and positioned the defendant on probation for the time period of 1 12 months with the situation that he not search employment as a police officer.
A really brief video launched by the City of Somerville following the Oct. 1, 2019, incident reveals blurred faces of Somerville officers surrounding a handcuffed man who reveals no signal of aggression towards the figures. One of the officers, later recognized as McGrath, then raises his arm and sprays the person within the face.
McGrath sprayed the “prisoner in his custody” within the face with Cap-Stun pepper spray “without cause or justification,” in keeping with an announcement launched by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s workplace following McGrath’s admission.
That model of pepper spray consists of a combination containing 0.92% main capsaicinoids — chemical substances distilled from the acute warmth of chili peppers — in keeping with the seller’s web site.
“While favored in certain cuisines around the world, it has also been weaponized in the form of pepper sprays and bear repellents,” in keeping with the summary of a 2019 paper on the substance printed in Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine.
Capsaicinoids are recognized to induce coughing and sneezing, inflame the pores and skin and have an irritating impact on mucous membranes of the eyes and nostril, in keeping with an out-of-print 2003 version of the Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition.
McGrath was positioned on unpaid go away when metropolis and police administration discovered of the incident, in keeping with an announcement launched by the town on Friday. An inside investigation really helpful a suspension of 5 days and additional penalties as much as termination, however McGrath resigned earlier than this suspension may very well be imposed.
“While the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers perform their duties with full professionalism, those who are alleged to have committed an act of misconduct will be held accountable,” performing Somerville Police Chief Charles Femino mentioned within the metropolis assertion.
“The public must have confidence that officers discharge their duties with all due care and restraint. The events depicted in the findings and related evidence fall disappointingly short of the Department’s expectations and do not represent the values of the Somerville Police Department,” he continued.
McGrath had been a extremely seen chief of the Somerville Police Employee’s Association. In his capability as president of the union, he led a protest by a number of police unions in opposition to the City of Somerville flying a Black Lives Matter banner above the entrance door to metropolis corridor.
“While we support the core goal of the BLM movement — equal treatment under the law — we find the banner’s message disrespectful of police officers and potentially encouraging to individuals who pervert that message through the indiscriminate murder of our counterparts from around the country,” McGrath mentioned forward of the July 2016 protest.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”