Thanks to the office of Michael W. Morrissey, Norfolk District Attorney for sharing this article with Westwood Minute.
Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey hosted more than 50 members of area police departments at a two-hour seminar on how his office conducts investigations into fatal police encounters. Seventeen Norfolk County departments attended, including three members of Westwood PD.
“Massachusetts experiences among the fewest police shootings in the nation,” District Attorney Morrissey said. Since the year 2000, Norfolk County has seen roughly one fatal police encounter every other year.
“A Washington Post national project two years ago found one fatal police encounter per 1.35 million population in Massachusetts– third lowest behind Rhode Island and North Dakota, with zero that year,” Morrissey said. “At the other end of the scale, states like Oklahoma and New Mexico had 9 per million – 12 times the Massachusetts rate.”
Massachusetts statute vests each District Attorney with the authority to investigate all unattended deaths in his or her district, including homicides, suicides, overdoses, and others not attended by a clinician.
“That includes fatal police shootings,” District Attorney Morrissey said. “It can only help the process if police unions and union attorneys understand – before the shooting occurs – what our process is, how we are bound by the Supreme Court standard on use of force, what outside factors impact our timeline, and what our non-negotiables are going to be.”
Morrissey publishes police shooting final reports on the office website. “We invited all of the stakeholders to come together – from patrol officers to chiefs, town counsels to attorneys representing police groups,” Morrissey said.
Westwood Police Lieutenant Chris Sheehy was joined by Sergeant Michael Dilalla, and Detective Sergeant Paul R. Sicard at the Dec. 14 event.
In addition to District Attorney Morrissey, Massachusetts State Police Lt. John Fanning and Det. Lt. Brian Tully from the DA’s homicide unit conducted the seminar. Weymouth Police Chief Richard Fuller also presented on his department’s implementation of body worn cameras and cruiser mounted cameras.
“Body cameras are proving to be important in many investigations,” District Attorney Morrissey said. “They do not always provide an optimal view – particularly when an officer is on the ground or behind cover – but they can be both a strong tool for providing clarity to investigators and providing added transparency and confidence for the public.”
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