var currentLocation = window.location; If that doesn't work, move to step 2: literally shoot the messenger var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; Roca said in his report that the driver attempted to back into a state trooper, at which point he fired his gun three times at the driver. Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. Concepcion alleged that he returned again and again for hours at a time until an HPD supervisor finally interviewed him three weeks later. list of candidates for Holyoke police officer. That second entry likely relates to an incident in 2017 when Roca fired his gun at a Leeds resident, Dan Guyette, who led officers on a high-speed chase through Holyoke before crashing into parked cars. The five-year Holyoke Police officer who posted the video, Rafael Roca, explained in the beginning, that he wanted to "expose the corruption and the lies and the injustice" he felt was taking place within the department. Howie Carr: What's so urgent in Holbrook, Mr. Speaker? Schedule a Free Consultation Fill out your information below: Law Offices of Allyn & Ball, P.C. I kept yelling that they were violating our rights and they continued to search my vehicle against my will. All rights reserved (About Us). The work of setting up a review board is difficult and time-intensive, Terrill said. No probable cause, there was no weapons, there was no reason to assume there were weapons., An officer told him to shut my mouth or much more than my rights would be violated, Concepcion wrote in a complaint he later filed with the police department. John Hart was suspended and fined for losing a department-issued sniper rifle. A Massachusetts police officer who posted a video online alleging corruption within his department says he has been placed on paid administrative leave after refusing to take. How do cops view themselves and their work? I said Im sorry but, respectfully, I refuse to take it down.. Prosecutors pressed charges against him until the day he showed up for his trial, when he said they informed him they were dropping the case. Its not clear and it doesnt exist. Roca had been with the department since 2015. The father said in his complaint that his boys had been through a lot of trauma made worse by now living in a homeless shelter, and that as a result they didnt always react to what they were told to do. In the departments investigation, police said they pulled him over for running a stop sign, then tried to tow his car after learning his license was suspended and registration revoked. In August, the city of Holyoke hired a firm to audit its police department, including its internal affairs processes. A police officer says he's on paid administrative leave for refusing to take down the 43-minute video that alleges corruption within the police department in Holyoke, Massachusetts. But now he finds out if he will be charged with misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a. var photocredit = "'SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE' 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); That transparency has been slow to arrive, however. The Appellant left the Holyoke Police Station at approximately 11:00 p.m. and proceeded to the detail in his personal vehicle by means of Southampton Road. Holyoke Police Captain Matthew Moriarty told Western Mass News that Holyoke police officials responded to a report of gunfire on 136 Sargeant Street around 9 p.m. on Tuesday night. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { That decision was made after aHolyoke police officer publicly alleged corruptionwithin the HPD and aDaily Hampshire Gazetteinvestigation found whatsome characterized as excessive overtimein the department, including among some of its highest-paid officers. For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. Internal affairs is corrupt as can be, Roca said in his video. Murphy didnt have to answer to anybody. Febo addresses the allegation that minority officers are not given opportunity for specialized assignments, as Roca said in his video that minorities are underrepresented in specialized positions. That is roughly 75 percent of minority officers with eight years or more in specialized assignments, he said. Use our free directory to instantly connect with verified Police Misconduct attorneys. Youre immediately going into this intimidating environment and youre having to go up to the desk sergeant asking for this, and then youre put on ice and made to sit there, Terrill said. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. That is roughly 75% of minority officers with 8 years or more [of experience] in specialized assignments. Febos statement added, The Holyoke Police Department has a Chief, 2 Lieutenants, and 4 Sergeants who are minority in the department command staff.. Read the rules you agree to by using this website in our Terms Rafael Roca, 37, uploaded the now viral video early Sunday morning. He has since been suspended for . On Nov. 10, then acting mayor Terence Murphy followed that recommendation after a city lawyer determined there was just cause for firing Roca. Whether its now or later, well see.. The report, which Roca shared with the Gazette, was completed on July 2. Holyoke Officer Rafael Roca, a former Marine hired in 2016, said in the 43-minute video posted on YouTube that Chief Manny Febo is "corrupt" and plays favorites, and he argued that members of. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBHolyokePD-hg031021,ph1'); They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca told Masslive.com on Monday. So far, the commission has only suspended 19 officers statewide because they were either arrested, charged or indicted on a felony charge. Not a single person from City Hall or city government reached out at all, he said. Last year, a judge ruled in favor of the newspaper and ordered the city to pay $5,000 in punitive damages and $100,000 in legal fees. He attested that state troopers consistently call him to translate for them, as they do not have enough Spanish speakers on the force. Notes. Thats what police was for. For example, he characterized it as a workplace where now-former Police Chief Manny Febo favorites were not disciplined despite losing weapons and facing restraining orders, according to the accusations. (AP) A Massachusetts police officer who posted a video online alleging corruption within his department says he has been placed on paid administrative leave after refusing to take it down and will probably lose his job. The so-called Lexow Committee revealed to the city and nation in unprecedented detail. Joshua Garcia was sworn in as Holyokes 45th mayor on Monday. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Holyoke Police Officer Rafael Roca suspended after posting viral video alleging corruption at the department, Because of this video I will probably be fired: Holyoke officer alleges police corruption in viral video, Holyokes fiscal future appears bright as Joshua Garcia enters office. var photocredit = "'GAZETTE FILE PHOTO' 'Holyoke police officer parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Youre supposed to act a certain way, talk a certain way. HOLYOKE, Mass. "I'll probably lose my job, but I'm good. The rollout hasnot been smooth, with commissioners sparring overinternal rulesandavailable resources. Roca has NEVER provided any credible information or documentation to substantiate his claims to the HPD, his union, the FBI, Attorney General or any other investigators that I am aware of, Pratt wrote, adding that Roca was given due process. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; '"; Now, he said, one of his sons was on pain medication because of the force Romero used to arrest him. NEPM has obtained a decades worth of civilian complaints against HPD officers and the departments own internal investigations of them. Police Capt. designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated Roca also said he wasnt surprised he was fired, but expressed disappointment that no city, state or federal officials fully investigated his allegations, according to the Gazette. Roca also claimed in his video that recently, a police officer had his car stolen with guns and equipment inside. He alleged that the car was found in Hartford, but the guns and equipment were missing. It's that point in the year READ THE REST, We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. var currentLocation = window.location; As of March 9, Roca has been suspended from the department due to his violation of a rule prohibiting officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. He noted that he was terminated in the final days of Murphys tenure as acting mayor. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. They want to send a message to other officers: Dont be like Roca, because this is exactly whats going to happen to you., Febo said in a statement released Tuesday that it is not standard practice for police departments to comment on issues that have an ongoing personnel investigation for violations of policy. 1 Catholic Memorial; roundup/list of scores, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking. Roca responded saying he already appealed the decision to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. The man alleged there was a problem with the arrest report Leahy later filed, saying it contained outright lies and falsehoods. He said he never had a gun and never even stepped into the street. Office Location: 57 Suffolk St. Suite 200 Holyoke, MA 01040 Call Us Valentin, who went on to work as a staffer for U.S. Sens. Image courtesy by Kate Turner 21. NEPM also contacted all of the police officers mentioned in this story via email or phone. He said the incident took place last year and involved the department responding to a call at the boat ramp where a citizen had stated that an officer had purposely rammed his boat. Febo went on to say there were conflicting accounts regarding the incident and very minor contact. He said while no formal complaint was filed, a report was filed and the incident was not covered up. Additionally, he said, the officer was spoken to about rudeness when dealing with the public. In 2017, for example, a civilian accused Holyoke police officer Patrick Leahy of putting him through hell for almost a year.. He said minority candidates get passed over for top positions, as detectives or supervisors. Concepcion, who alleged that police unjustifiably yanked him out of his car at gunpoint in 2016, said he attempted to file a complaint against the officers that day, but police at the station told him they had no complaint forms on hand. Roca said he was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which bars officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. When he declined to do so, Roca said he was suspended with pay for failure to obey a direct order on my day off and for violating their social media policy., It goes to show that theyre dirty and they want to cover up the stuff that they do, Roca told the Gazette. Two of the civilian complaints that NEPM obtained alleged that police violently arrested students in the citys schools. When Massachusetts lawmakers passed a sweeping police reform law in late 2020, one of the bills provisions opened up law enforcement misconduct investigations to greater scrutiny under the states public records law. We reenter the clubhouse, as we go back to the pool table the brother that just received the pot starts to brag about having a brother as a Holyoke police officer and that he gets stuff like pot and can make some money that way., In its investigation, the HPD found the allegations against Monfett not sustained because there was insufficient evidence to either prove or disprove the allegation.. In his own time, he said that he witnessed classmates incarcerated as part of the school-to-prison pipeline.. They label you a liar, he said. One officer was accused of using his siren at a drive-thru window to get his ice cream more quickly. All rights reserved (About Us). HOLYOKE, Mass. HOLYOKE, Mass. Twelve of the 46 patrolmen with eight years or more of experience are part of a minority group, and nine of them have specialized positions, Febo wrote. raf odiham flying schedule, gerrit cole stats before and after crackdown,