The state's police oversight board has suspended the certification of former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, the embattled investigator who was fired earlier this year over his conduct during the Karen Read case. The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, or POST, said it has "concluded by a preponderance of the evidence that the suspension is in the best interest of the health, safety, or welfare of the public," according to a Dec. 18 order. Proctor had been certified through July 1, 2026.
Zuniga wrote in response to a scathing letter Jackson penned last month, which alleged Cox had been "caught in a lie" in his remarks about a former officer whose explosive testimony made headlines during Read's second trial. Speaking to reporters on July 10, Cox denied pressuring then-Boston Police Officer Kelly Dever into changing her testimony and claimed he didn't even know she was associated with Read's high-profile case - a statement Jackson decried as "patently false" and "a bald-faced lie."
State Police fired Proctor in March following a lengthy suspension and internal affairs probe that delved into the now-infamous texts he sent friends, family, and coworkers about the case. In those texts, Proctor called Read a "wack job c**t" and "retarded," made vulgar remarks about her health and appearance, joked about searching for nude photos on her cellphone, and said he hoped Read would kill herself.
State Police fired Proctor in March following a lengthy suspension and internal investigation, pointing in part to the texts he sent friends, family, and coworkers about Read's case. In those texts, Proctor called Read a "wack job c**t" and "retarded," made crass remarks about her appearance and Crohn's disease, and joked about looking for nude photos on her cellphone.
"As a Sergeant assigned to the DST Commander's Office, Sergeant Bukhenik will perform a variety of administrative functions in support of the Division's daily operations," McGuirk explained.