# Hopkinton police chief pulls gun licenses from three officers



## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

Three Hopkinton police officers claim Chief Edward Lee’s firearms license suspensions are “direct and indirect retaliation.”

HOPKINTON — Three police officers are suing the town and Police Chief Edward Lee after he suspended their licenses to carry guns.

The officers - Peter Booth, Linda Higgins and John Moran - have been on “injured on duty” leave for a year and a half and not working shifts, according to town officials.

The officers claim Lee’s suspensions are “direct and indirect retaliation” as part of a collective bargaining grievance process for proper injury pay under state law, according to court documents. The cause of the officers’ injuries, which occurred on July 24, 2017, is not being released. They filed a grievance on Dec. 12.

Lee sent letters informing the officers of their firearms license suspensions to their respective hometowns on Dec. 14. As part of the suspension, the officers must turn in all licenses, guns and ammunition to their local police station.

“You are no longer deemed suitable as a result of post-traumatic stress related to injuries incurred while on duty,” the chief wrote to all three officers. “This is supported by medical reports.”

The officers each filed appeals in February through attorney Kathleen Reagan, claiming the action violates their constitutional right to bear arms and partake in a grievance process.

Reagan declined comment. A hearing is scheduled for April 23 in Framingham District Court.


She asked the town to reinstate the officers’ licenses to carry without restriction. Duty weapons were seized from the officers on or about Aug. 22, 2017.

“The (suspensions) were without reasonable grounds, and the decision to deny by the defendant was arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion,” Reagan wrote, “and constitutes a discrimination based on the fact that (their) duty-related (injuries) which is cited for the reason of suspension, occurred over a year and a half ago.”


Lee suspended the licenses about 48 hours after the grievance was filed, according to court documents.

“Regardless of the merits of (state law) pay status or the resolution of collective bargaining processes, each individual’s right to bear arms and to engage in the rights secured under collective bargaining should not be pawns used in suspensions,” Reagan wrote.

Hopkinton Police Sgt. Tim Brennan, president of the police union, declined comment on the pending court case.

Town Manager Norman Khumalo and special labor counsel Nicholas Anastasopoulos also declined comment.


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## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

*Published Jan 16, 2019 at 6:50 PM*

Massachusetts police officers and firefighters say a new bill signed into law Wednesday will allow them to ask for help and will save lives.

Surrounded by first responders and lawmakers, Gov. Charlie Baker signed the bill allowing first responders to seek guidance from their peers confidentially. They say that one-on-one conversation with someone who has also been through similar experiences will help them cope with the traumatic events experienced in the line of duty.

*They say they can now confide without fear the conversation will be used against them on the job.*

*"Providing law enforcement officers with the ability to confidentially seek guidance from their peers will help them cope with the events they experience in the line of duty,"* said Baker. *"We are thankful for the Legislature and law enforcement for their advocacy on this bill to increase support for services and reduce stigma around mental health issues. I am glad people saw it through and got it done."*
The bill was stalled for years, so the NBC10 Boston Investigators started asking questions and telling the stories of first responders in need. Those stories included the night that Boston Police Sgt. Brian Fleming recalled nearly took his own life. It was his first time the now-retired officer and peer support counselor talked about what happened.

"I took a gun out, put it to my head," Fleming said. "I wanted to die."

Worcester firefighters, sitting around the station kitchen table, talked for the first time about fighting the deadly Cold Storage Warehouse fire in 1999. Six fellow firefighters died during the fire, and at that time, *the stigma prevented many from asking for help*. Worcester has lost several firefighters since, including Christopher Roy last month.
"Coming from the Worcester area, where we have seen so many tragedies, this bill couldn't be more timely," said Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Mike Moore at the signing.

Another chief, Frank Frederickson of the Yarmouth Police Department, spoke to NBC10 Boston in the days following the murder of one of his officers, Sgt. Sean Gannon, about what it was like for the other officers on scene that day.

*"We know this is going to hard for them,"* he said. *"We will do what we need to do to help them through."*
During the last year, chiefs and unions, who are often at odds, worked together to get the new law passed.

*"This bill being signed by the governor takes down a barrier that was preventing our members from getting the help they need when they deal with tragedies in the community,"* said Peabody Chief Tom Griffin.

MassCOP, the state's largest union representing almost 5,000 officers, has been supportive of the bill.

*"Today means our state government has taken PTSD stress-related incidents seriously for our first responders in the commonwealth,"* said MassCOP President Scott Hovsepian during the signing event.

Republican State Rep. Tim Whelan, also a retired Massachusetts State Police trooper with 21 years on the road, predicted that "This bill is going to save lives, save marriages, and this bill is going to save families."

BLUE Help, a non-profit organization in Worcester, tracks police officer suicides. In 2018, 160 police officers died by suicide in the United States. More died by suicide than in the line of duty.


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

Nice to see. We kid each other about such things, but deep down, I truly believe that, stigma be damned, we're some of the most supportive people of each other there is (aside from the military of course). Funny enough/SADLY enough, it's the public we have the most to fear when it comes to the 'stigma', not each other.


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## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

Crazy. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

Ah ha ha ha ha!!!!
"Suitability" in relation to LTC's, is like "Liability" in the Chiefs arsenal of words.........................vague and overused.
We ALL know people with LTC's and receiving PTSD Compensation. Just take it up with the appeal board in Chelsea and get them issued there. Chief is being so middle-school retaliatory here.


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## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

mpd61 said:


> Chief is being so middle-school retaliatory here.


Like a game of "keep away" but with gold stars.


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## Goose (Dec 1, 2004)

mpd61 said:


> Ah ha ha ha ha!!!!
> "Suitability" in relation to LTC's, is like "Liability" in the Chiefs arsenal of words.........................vague and overused.
> We ALL know people with LTC's and receiving PTSD Compensation. Just take it up with the appeal board in Chelsea and get them issued there. Chief is being so middle-school retaliatory here.


You mean not all the DVETS are missing a toe or two? Shocking.


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## visible25 (Feb 7, 2012)

The deeper details behind all these are insane, dpt not looking good


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