Why does Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox hold making an attempt to guard sure very dodgy cops, a minimum of in the event that they occur to be… a sure sort of cop?
Triston Champagnie, Kelly Dever and now a man by the identify of Bryan Augustine.
After skating on all costs since he went on the job in 2018, the BPD has lastly, if belatedly determined to (type of) self-discipline Augustine.
And all of it occurred simply as a 34-year-veteran Boston police captain was submitting a lawsuit in opposition to Cox and the BPD, during which he accused them of making an attempt to power him to broom one of many many instances in opposition to Augustine.
The rationale Cox et al. wished the fees diminished in opposition to their favourite cop?
In accordance with the lawsuit, it was in order that Augustine’s certification wouldn’t be pulled by the Mass Police Officers Requirements and Coaching (POST) Fee. If the POST Fee ever came upon about this incident Gaughan was probing, Cox’s little pet “would doubtless be terminated, an finish end result they had been making an attempt to keep away from.”
This civil criticism was filed by BPD Capt. Timothy Gaughan, and he brings the receipts. For some time, he was on Inner Affairs, dealing with one of many many costs in opposition to Augustine.
In accordance with his swimsuit, Gaughan received a name from Cox’s enforcer, Supt.-in-Chief Phil Owens, who informed him “he was calling on behalf of Cox.” Owens requested Gaughan to mainly scale back the fees in opposition to Cox’s pet, Augustine.
Then Owens despatched Gaughan a replica of a memo he’d despatched to Cox. You possibly can test it out for your self. In it, the 2 critical costs in opposition to Augustine, “Untruthfulness” and “Conduct Unbecoming,” are crossed out. They’re changed with lesser, survivable costs of “Unreasonable Judgment” and “Neglect of Obligation.”
Who scratched out these unique costs, and for what motive? And why would Cox use his enforcer to deal with the broom job?
From paragraph 55 of Capt. Gaughan’s swimsuit:
“Commissioner Cox tried to defend his involvement within the matter by contacting plaintiff not directly and exerting undue strain on him to alter the character of the fees and supporting narratives. Cox’s goal was to guard a dishonest police officer from being terminated.”
A dishonest police officer!
The Boston Police Division declined to touch upon the swimsuit, or Gaughan’s accusations.
However the BPD did ship a replica of his Officer Resume from Inner Affairs, containing summaries of the “incidents” that Cox was going through costs on at the beginning was simply, uh, labored out.
Some costs had been sustained, the main ones largely not – wink wink nudge nudge:
In 2020: “Stopped for drag racing in Revere. It’s alleged that Officer Augustine was within the firm of unsavory characters and gave the Trooper a tough time.”
In 2020: “(Redacted) acknowledged that Officer Augustine all the time makes use of profanity whereas talking to him at Egleston the place he and his girlfriend hang around primarily based on the truth that they’re homeless and don’t have any place to remain… A assessment of Officer Stanley Pina (bodycam) confirmed Officer Augustine threw the quotation at (homeless man).”
In 2020: “A tractor-trailer was having a visitors challenge on Washington Avenue… (Driver requested for assist) however Officer Augustine didn’t reply. The complainant then approached cruiser (window open) and requested the officer if he had heard the truck driver’s request for help. In accordance with the complainant, Officer Augustine replied, ‘Go (bleep) your self.’ The officer then drove off.”
In 2022: “Calling in sick when he had exhausted his sick time and trip time… didn’t report for responsibility… he was AWOL for the tour… Officer Augustine has frequently demonstrated an absence of attentiveness towards his time and attendance as a Boston Police Officer. His present sample is proof of full unawareness or whole disregard for his actions, putting his fellow officers and the unit in danger.”
In 2022: Lady leaving police headquarters says cop on steel detector informed her she “seems to be acquainted… (then) adopted her to her automobile… requested her private questions relating to her background. (Redacted) expressed that she felt the officer was flirting together with her making her really feel uncomfortable.”
In 2023: Whereas out sick, pending a employee’s comp declare, Augustine confirmed up in courtroom to defend himself on a motor-vehicle quotation “in a Boston Police Uniform whereas off responsibility regarding a private matter. Moreover, Sgt. DeFeo claimed that Officer Augustine fraudulently obtained the inspection sticker for his motorcar.” (Sgt. DeFeo advisable that cost be investigated by the BPD’s anti-corruption unit.)
In 2024: “Officer Augustine gave off-duty Officer Fabian Bustillo and civilian Gabriel Albisu a experience dwelling in a marked BPD cruiser from the Seaport District to Bustillo’s dwelling with the lights and sirens activated.”
To repeat, a lot of the extra critical costs had been downgraded, however lots of them had been in a method or one other “sustained.” Two extra complaints in opposition to Augustine stay pending.
As Gaughan’s swimsuit was filed, Cox suspended Augustine for 30 days – “with 15 working days to service, with out pay, and 15 working days held in abeyance for a interval of 1 yr, for misconduct….”
In accordance with the lawsuit, Gaughan suffered retaliation as a result of the case he declined to brush underneath the rug dated again to 2018, when Augustine was nonetheless a probationary police officer and thus had much less job safety.
To punish him, Gaughan says the brass slow-walked his promotion to captain and assigned him to “a poisonous work surroundings” – the Operations Division.
Cox suffered one other authorized setback in his double requirements of meting out self-discipline final week. That defeat occurred in a federal case involving former officer Joe Abasciano, who was pressured out for tweets he made on Jan. 6, 2021.
Cox fired the MAGA cop, however final December the Civil Service Fee overturned the BPD’s determination. The BPD appealed to eliminate the Trump supporter.
The decide stated Cox doesn’t get a second chunk on the apple as a result of the case had already been absolutely litigated on the state degree.
Fascinating how Cox apparently was determined to guard Augustine on the identical time he wished to fireplace Abasciano. I’m wondering what the distinction is between the 2 cops. Are just a few tweets worse than all of the above incidents involving Augustine?
Aggrieved cops, hold these lawsuits coming. Why do I’ve this sense that there are much more Bryan Augustines and Triston Champagnies on the market being coddled by the present BPD brass… for no matter motive?
One final query: why is Commissioner Cox not licensed by the POST Fee? Is he in some way above the requirements he enforces, a minimum of on a few of his cops?
I requested the BPD, however they by no means received again to me. Asking for a buddy….
Order Howie’s new e-book, “Mass Corruption: Vol. 1, The Cops” at howiecarrshow.com/retailer.
