BOSTON (WHDH) - A Boston police officer is facing criminal charges after authorities say he intimidated and harassed a detective who had been investigating his residency status.
Matthew Morrissey was arraigned Monday in Dorchester District Court on charges including intimidation of a witness and harassment, according to Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief Gregory Long.
Morrissey was the target of a monthslong internal investigation into the violation of city residency requirements, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden said. He was placed on leave on March 5 after the investigation concluded.
Hours after being put on leave, Morrissey traveled to the sergeant detective’s home around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday and parked his Chevy Silverado just feet away from the front door, according to a criminal complaint. Morrissey then allegedly stared at the detective through a glass door for about 90 seconds before fleeing the scene.
“This was the third in a series of confrontations instigated by Officer Morrisey while he was under investigation for allegedly violating the city’s residence ordinance,” police wrote in the complaint.
On Oct. 26, 2021, the detective was conducting surveillance on Morrissey from a nearly-empty parking lot outside the Venezia Restaurant in Dorchester when Morrissey reportedly pulled up next to him and remained there for two minutes before leaving. About a week later, police say Morrissey tracked the detective to another parking lot and started circling his vehicle.
Authorities say the incidents “caused great concerns” for the detective and his family.
In a statement, Long said, “Conduct such as this will not be accepted or ignored by the Boston Police Department. Our officers take an oath to uphold the law and will be held accountable to that very oath. This arrest serves as a clear reminder that the Boston Police Department holds its officers to the highest standards.”
Judge Thomas Kaplanes released Morrissey on personal recognizance and ordered him to stay away from the fellow officer’s home and the anti-corruption division of the Boston Police Department.
He is due back in court of a pre-trial hearing on April 21.
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