The Boston Police Department has been under scrutiny following the dismissal of weapons charges against a defendant linked to Officer Champagnie, whose credibility is now in serious question.
The case against the defendant, Joe Simmons, had been pending for several months, largely due to the Boston police’s refusal to provide internal affairs records about Officer Champagnie to defense attorney Zachary Cloud.
This lack of compliance persisted even after a court ordered the department to release the information.
However, earlier this month, the department disclosed significant findings from a preliminary internal affairs report regarding Champagnie, which indicated that he had acted dishonestly.
While the report is not publicly available, Cloud noted that its contents have serious implications for the officer’s reliability as a witness in the ongoing legal matters.
Compounding the issue, an investigation by the Suffolk District Attorney’s office unveiled troubling details from a fatal car accident involving Champagnie.
Records indicated that a supervisor had explicitly instructed Champagnie and his partner to cease pursuing a vehicle during a high-speed chase on January 4, 2024.
Despite these orders, the officers allegedly continued to follow the suspect vehicle, which ultimately crashed, leading to the death of three teenagers and the injury of a fourth.
Cloud stated that if the case against his client had progressed, they would have proved that Officer Champagnie fabricated the justification for stopping the vehicle and lied about the pursuit.
He added that this dishonest behavior would have revealed numerous violations of Boston Police Department policies on the part of Champagnie.
In his arguments, Cloud emphasized that Champagnie’s alleged untruthfulness undermined the legality of the arrest that led to the gun charges against Simmons.
The Suffolk District Attorney’s office acknowledged the difficulties in moving forward with the case, stating in a court filing that “a necessary and essential witness is unavailable and is likely to remain unavailable.”
This unavailability has made it impossible for the prosecution to meet its burden to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
The pursuit that ended in tragedy began when Champagnie and Officer Matthew Farley attempted to stop a Hyundai that sped away.
Although they were told by a supervisor not to continue the chase since it stemmed from a traffic violation, they both ignored the directive.
While Farley was driving, he briefly turned off the cruiser’s lights but reignited them as the Hyundai swerved onto Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester.
Subsequent checks from the supervisor revealed that, despite Champagnie’s claims over the radio, they were still actively pursuing the vehicle.
Evidence obtained later demonstrated that the officers accelerated during the pursuit, which directly contradicted their accounts.
Tragically, moments after the police pursuit, the Hyundai crashed, flipping over and resulting in the deaths of three teenagers.
The District Attorney’s office ultimately investigated the crash but did not file charges against the officers, determining it to be an accident primarily caused by the young driver’s reckless behavior.
Champagnie and Farley remain on administrative leave with pay while the investigation into their actions during the incident continues.
The police department has not commented on why Champagnie was unavailable to testify, while legal representatives for the officers have also chosen to withhold comment.
In the wake of the incident, families of the deceased teenagers have been seeking answers and accountability from the police department.
The revelations concerning Champagnie’s integrity surfaced through the investigation into the gun possession case against Simmons.
In June 2023, Champagnie pulled over Simmons and reportedly found a gun in his vehicle.
Simmons, identified as a gang member and a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Cloud has consistently contended that Champagnie lacked legal standing to pull over Simmons.
He pointed to Champagnie’s questionable truthfulness surrounding the fatal crash as indicative of a pattern of misconduct that could undermine the integrity of the arrest.
As a result of the recent developments, the prosecution has dropped the case, and the anticipated evidentiary hearing will not take place.
Cloud expressed that Simmons was relieved about the dismissal of the charges, stating, “It was clear that Officer Champagnie’s arrest of my client was illegal.”
He further lamented the broader implications of Champagnie’s pattern of misconduct, noting it led to the needless loss of young lives.
As the investigation unfolds, serious questions remain about the accountability and oversight within the Boston Police Department.
image source from：bostonglobe
