Springfield Officers back on street; No Charges for Beating Black School Principal
A day after the city's Police Commission cleared them of any wrongdoing, five white officers accused of beating a black school principal in November returned to street duty last night. Local officials of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Urban League said last night they will not be satisfied until a requested federal probe into the incident is completed. Police Chief Paula C. Meara said yesterday that she issued an order reassigning uniformed Officers Jeffrey M. Asher, James F. Kervick, James M. Moriarty, James L. Shewchuk, and Richard D. Reid from administrative work to regular patrol duties. She made the decision after consulting with the city's Law Department. The Police Commission voted 3-2 on Monday not to pursue disciplinary action against the officers, following an internal investigation into a complaint that they beat high school principal Douglas G. Greer on Nov. 4 at a South End gasoline station. Greer has said that he was suffering a diabetic attack when officers dragged him out of his car, beat him, and accused him of being a drug user while ignoring his pleas for medical help. He has since filed a civil suit against the city, the Police Department, and the officers. The officers contend that they wrestled him to the ground and restrained him from flailing his arms and legs for several minutes, but did not beat him. A heavily redacted internal investigation report released to The Republican includes several conflicting accounts from witnesses and people involved in the incident. Boston lawyer Walter B. Prince, who is representing Greer in the federal civil suit filed last month, expressed disappointment that "the Police Department would ignore eyewitness testimony from three to four witnesses who observed Mr. Greer being beaten by police." He said, "All this does is strengthen our resolve in moving forward with the litigation to see a just resolution from the judicial system."[more] and [more] and [more]