WOBURN, MASS. (WHDH) - Woburn officials have released the results of an internal investigation that confirmed allegations against a former officer who was involved with extremist groups and helped plan the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The former officer, John Donnelly, resigned from the Woburn Police Department Monday.
The investigation found that Donnelly used the alias Johnny O’Malley in person and online, and attended, helped plan and provided security for leadership of the Charlottesville rally.
Det. Lt. Brian P. McManus, who conducted the investigation, also found that Donnelly was associated with Identity Evropa, which the Anti-Defamation League calls “a white supremacist group focused on the preservation of ‘white American culture’ and promoting white European identity” that recruited largely on college campuses. The group later changed its name to the American Identity Movement after the rally and later disbanded.
McManus also found evidence that Donnelly use racist and anti-Semitic language, and was seen in photos and videos as part of a security detail for Richard Spencer, a white nationalist alt-right leader who promoted and spoke at the rally.
Donnelly violated several Worcester Police Department rules and regulations, including policies governing Membership in Organizations, Outside Employment, Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and Improper Associations, as well as violations of the Woburn Police Department Social Media Policy.
The results of the investigation will be submitted to the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, the state office that certifies officers, with the recommendation that Donnelly be de-certified, which would render him ineligible to work as a police officer statewide.
Donnelly refused to be interviewed throughout the investigation and resigned before it was completed.
Members of the public can request a copy of the report using the Woburn Police Department Public Record Request page.
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