Massachusetts State Trooper Suspended for Inappropriate Texts About Karen Read During Investigation

Boston, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, USA United States of America
Massachusetts State Police opened internal affairs investigation into Proctor's conduct, suspended him without pay pending outcome
Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor suspended for inappropriate texts about Karen Read during investigation
Proctor admitted to sending inappropriate texts about Read, including calling her a 'whackjob [expletive]' and expressing hope she would kill herself
Trooper Proctor led investigation into murder of Boston Police officer John O'Keefe and Karen Read's trial
Massachusetts State Trooper Suspended for Inappropriate Texts About Karen Read During Investigation

Lead Investigator in Karen Read Case, Trooper Michael Proctor, Suspended Without Pay Following Allegations of Inappropriate Texts

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, who led the investigation into the murder of Boston Police officer John O'Keefe and Karen Read's subsequent trial, has been suspended without pay following allegations that he sent inappropriate texts about Read during the investigation and trial.

According to multiple sources, including WG Bh news, CBS News, and USA Today, Proctor was questioned about his texts during the trial but admitted to sending them nonetheless. In one message, Proctor referred to Read as a 'whackjob [expletive]' and in another he expressed hope that she would kill herself.

The Massachusetts State Police issued a statement following the mistrial, stating that they had opened an internal affairs investigation into Proctor's conduct and had relieved him of duty pending its outcome. Interim State Police Superintendent Col. John Mawn made the decision to suspend Proctor without pay after a duty status hearing on Monday.

The trial ended in a hung jury last week, with Read being charged with second degree murder, manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. The case has drawn widespread attention due to claims that it was a cover-up by law enforcement and that others were involved in framing Read for O'Keefe's death.

Proctor's texts have raised concerns about broader shifts within the Massachusetts State Police, with protesters calling for an end to a culture of sweeping issues under the rug. The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office plans to retry Read.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Was the Massachusetts State Police internal affairs investigation thorough and unbiased?
  • Were there any other instances of inappropriate behavior by Trooper Proctor towards Karen Read or others?

Sources

96%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Trooper Michael Proctor, lead investigator in Karen Read case, suspended without pay

CBS News Site: https://www.cbsnews.com/articles/about-us/ Matt Schooley Tuesday, 09 July 2024 09:02
  • Unique Points
    • Trooper Michael Proctor was suspended without pay following a duty hearing.
    • Proctor admitted to sending inappropriate and offensive text messages about Karen Read during the trial.
    • In one message, Proctor referred to Read as a 'whackjob [expletive]' and in another he said 'hopefully she kills herself'.
  • Accuracy
    • Proctor admitted to sending inappropriate and offensive text messages about Karen Read to family and friends during the trial.
    • In one message, Proctor referred to Read as a ‘whackjob [expletive]’ and in another he said ‘hopefully she kills herself’.
    • During the trial, Proctor apologized for some of the language he used in those texts but insisted it did not impact the integrity of the investigation.
    • Protesters expressed concerns about broader shifts within the state police, calling for an end to a culture of sweeping issues under the rug.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority when Massachusetts State Police Col. John Mawn accepts the board's recommended suspension for Proctor without providing any reasoning or justification for the suspension. Additionally, there is inflammatory rhetoric used by Karen Read's supporters who call Proctor's behavior 'disgraceful,' 'disgusting,' and 'not reflective of the Massachusetts State Police.' However, no formal fallacies were found in the author's statements.
    • ]I think I[ve] been very clear and I want to remain very clear. Misconduct in any way, shape or form by the Massachusetts State Police will not be tolerated.[/
    • Massachusetts State Police Col. John Mawn
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Trooper Michael Proctor, lead investigator in Karen Read case, suspended without pay

WGBH News Tori Bedford Monday, 08 July 2024 20:09
  • Unique Points
    • Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, who led the investigation into the murder of Boston Police officer John O’Keefe, has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
    • During the trial, Proctor apologized for some of the language he used in those texts but insisted it did not impact the integrity of the investigation.
    • Protesters expressed concerns about broader shifts within the state police, calling for an end to a culture of sweeping issues under the rug.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

94%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Lead investigator in Karen Read murder case put on unpaid leave

USA Today Jessica Trufant Monday, 08 July 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Proctor was questioned about inappropriate texts he had sent regarding Read during the investigation.
    • Proctor admitted to sending inappropriate and offensive text messages about Karen Read to family and friends during the trial.
  • Accuracy
    • The case has drawn widespread national attention due to claims of a cover-up by law enforcement.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (80%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy in the statement 'Interim State Police Superintendent Col. John Mawn accepted the recommendation made by a hearing board to place Michael Proctor, of Canton, on unpaid leave.' This implies that since a higher-ranking officer accepted the recommendation, it must be valid or correct. Additionally, there is an example of inflammatory rhetoric in the phrase 'The case has drawn widespread national attention' which suggests that the case is more significant than it may actually be. Lastly, there are no explicit examples of formal or informal fallacies in direct quotes from Jessica Trufant.
    • Interim State Police Superintendent Col. John Mawn accepted the recommendation made by a hearing board to place Michael Proctor, of Canton, on unpaid leave.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication