WOBURN, MASS. (WHDH) - A police officer in Woburn at the center of an investigation for his alleged role in a white nationalist rally in Virginia has resigned, according to city officials.
Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin and Police Chief Robert Rufo released a joint statement announcing the resignation of John Donnelly on Monday evening.
Donnelly, a patrol officer with the department, was placed on leave last week after the department learned of his alleged role in planning and taking part in the 2017 “United the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The rally, which included members of white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups, received national attention not only for its rhetoric, but the death of a woman after a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi, James Fields Jr., rammed his car into a group of counter-protesters.
An internal review was launched by the department after the allegations came to light, with the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office announcing its own investigation a day later, looking to review all cases involving Donnelly.
“A thorough finding of fact is necessary in this situation, and our investigation shall continue,” Chief Rufo said in the statement. “For decades, police chiefs across the commonwealth have called for a statewide certification process to ensure that allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated, and bad actors are held accountable. That will be our focus moving forward. The men and women of the Woburn Police Department are united in disavowing hate in all its forms.”
According to the joint statement, the internal affairs investigation will continue after Donnelly’s departure, with the department’s findings slated to be reported to Mayor Galvin.
“There is no place for hate in Woburn or in the ranks of the Woburn Police Department,” Galvin said. “The City of Woburn stands together in its opposition to hate and violence, and we will emerge stronger as a community.”
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