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Jury convicts off-duty Boston cop for punching Uber driver and screaming racial epithets at him

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted Michael Doherty, 43, of several counts related to a 2015 incident in which the off-duty cop physically attacked an Uber driver, screamed racial and ethnic slurs at him and drove away in his car, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

The jury formally convicted Doherty of two counts of assault and battery and assault and battery for purposes of intimidation, which reflects "his use of racial and ethnic slurs during the confrontation," as well as use of a motor vehicle without authority for entering and driving several blocks in the victim’s Prius for the incident, the DA's office reports.

Jurors acquitted Doherty of violating the civil rights of a second man who intervened in the conflict on the victim’s behalf.

According to the DA's office:

During three days of trial, Suffolk prosecutors assigned to the DA’s Special Prosecutions Unit introduced evidence and testimony proving that Doherty took an Uber car from Charlestown to South Boston, where he told the driver they were in the wrong location and used a racial epithet in the verbal exchange that followed. The evidence proved that Doherty struck the victim, who exited the vehicle to escape the assault; Doherty then exited and chased him around the vehicle.

As the victim flagged down a passing car driven by another Uber driver, Doherty entered the victim’s 2005 Toyota Prius and drove away, prosecutors said. The victim entered the second Uber car and the two men followed Doherty until he stopped and exited the vehicle at East 1st Street and Farragut Road. There, Doherty continued to use racial and ethnic slurs in a second physical confrontation.

Doherty then left the scene. Massport Police arrived on scene seconds later and searched the area but were unable to locate the defendant, who later surrendered to Boston Police. He was arraigned the next day in South Boston Municipal Court and indicted three months later after prosecutors put the case to the Suffolk County Grand Jury.

In a statement, DA Dan Conley said:

The defendant’s conduct that night was reprehensible. His words and actions have no place in civilized society. They represented a crime against the victims, who were doing nothing more than trying to work for a living, and they were a slap in the face to countless police officers who work hard every day to earn the community’s trust with honor and professionalism.

Doherty's sentencing was set for April 17.

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Comments

How exactly will the department adjust things so he retires with a full pension?

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The department looks like heroes if they can take away officers pensions.

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just very comforting knowing these are the guys are tax dollars are going to between this loser and the statie posting racist remarks on his social media sites long before he shot the minority dirt bike rider on the expressway just gives you a warm fuzzy feeling that its 2018 and these great guys are protecting us and probably getting upwards of a 100k a year to do it i wonder if there weekly KKK meeting is before or after shift roll call

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At the very least, I hope they use punctuation marks like periods and commas.

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Says that the comment was entered using speech to text.

It's a skill to say 'period' and 'comma' when you want one in there. Provided you know how and where to use said punctuation.

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This is why we take a knee, Police are out of control. it's good to see one was finally convicted of being a Racist Boston Police Officer, Brutal Abusive and usually when you beat someone up and take there car it's called Carjacking but hey with cops like these who needs criminals. Great Example for the Kids. Thanks again BPD

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The police pull me over they always ask me " why do you seem nervous " and why are you shaking if you haven't done anything ?" Because I'm terrified of police, just go back and read all the crimes the commit. Where's Serpico when you need him ?

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He's been suspended without pay since his indictment.

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But, fortunately for the public, he will not be a police officer anymore.

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An officer fired or forced to resign in one jurisdiction can turn up elsewhere:
http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_31284854/fired-cop-rehired-s...

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And the officer returned to the same jurisdiction after a suit. Very messy small town politics.

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to the person that helped out the victim.

In Trump's American it will take ordinary citizens to stand up for civil rights.

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I know this young man .... he was an exemplary police officer. This one drunken incident should not define him. Unfortunately, forgiveness is in short supply at this time.
Perhaps, in time.

Signed: a chelsea admirer of a decent man, who acted out.

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And Whitey really wasn't that bad of a guy because he was respectful to his elderly neighbors. Doherty has proven himself to be a bad man who deserves time behind bars. He should really consider himself lucky that he wasn't charged to the fullest extent of the law like he would have had he not been a cop.

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What breaks did the DA give him?

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Didn’t see that in the charges. I have no doubt that he could have been arrested that night, but the cops let him sleep it off before turning himself in later. They had his name and location from Uber.

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they show someones true nature. It's not called truth serum for nothing.

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He's 43, for cripes sake!

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"Acting out" is an 8 yr old throwing a fit to get attention. This is a grown man who brutally attacked someone while screaming racist hate speech at him.

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This one drunken incident should not define him.

So a man walks into a bar, and sits down. He starts a conversation with an old guy next to him. The old guy has obviously had a few. He says to the man:

"You see that dock out there? Built it myself, hand crafted each piece, and it's the best dock in town! But do they call me "McGregor the dock builder"? No! And you see that bridge over there? I built that, took me two months, through rain, sleet and scoarching weather, but do they call me "McGregor the bridge builder"? No! And you see that pier over there, I built that, best pier in the county! But do they call me "McGregor the pier builder"? No!"

The old guy looks around, and makes sure that nobody is listening, and leans to the man, and he says:

"but you fuck one sheep..."

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and they say, "Hey, McGregor MacCloud, get offa my ewe!"

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And secondly I haven't heard from you in a dog's age. I hope life is treating you with the extravagant beneficence you deserve!

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anybody want to bet a $100 bill that this creep doesn't get an hour of committed jail time??? and furthermore why wasn't he charged with carjacking which carries a potential life sentence like any other normal criminal would of been!! and to the person that said hes a great guy and had one bad night OMG are you serious???? yeah sure nice try please theres countless nice guys in MCI Walpole that had one bad night and are never coming home and he should be having dinner with them every night for atleast the next 10 years

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I've worked in the criminal justice system for over 20 years, people who commit crimes like this as their first offense get jail time probably less than 10% of the time,

I'm also laughing at your MCI Walpole comment....

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https://www.bostoncriminaldefenselawyers.com/carjacking.html

Taking someone's car and ditching it a few blocks away isn't carjacking. Without the intent to permanently deprive the rightful owner of his property, it's not even larceny.

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