An investigation into an alleged sexual assault on a woman at the Massachusetts State Police barracks on Martha’s Vineyard, first reported by the Herald, has been confirmed by Oak Bluffs Police.
“In late August, the Oak Bluffs Police Department responded to a report involving a woman in distress and immediately initiated an investigation. Through the course of the investigation, officers determined that the matter involved an alleged sexual assault and developed information indicating that the alleged assault occurred at the Massachusetts State Police barracks in Oak Bluffs,” Chief Jonathan Searle said in a press release.
“As part of its investigation, Oak Bluffs Police developed probable cause and applied for and received court-authorized search warrants related to the investigation, including warrants executed at the State Police barracks,” he explained.
The Herald reported on the alleged late-August sexual assault on Wednesday, receiving confirmation from the State Police that they are “cooperating” in the investigation, which they say involves two people not employed by the agency, but had been visiting the Vineyard barracks.
The alleged attack reportedly occurred at a barracks on the island, the Herald was told. That’s where a woman alleged she was assaulted by someone who was visiting a trooper assigned to the Island for the summer.
“At the end of August, the Massachusetts State Police became aware of a reported sexual assault involving two people not affiliated with the Department. We are fully cooperating with the local police’s investigation into the matter and remain committed to pursuing justice in every sexual assault case. To protect the integrity of the investigation, we will have no further comment at this time,” a State Police Spokesperson told the Herald in an email.
The MSP has opened an internal affairs investigation, which will follow the results of the criminal process. Both the State Police and Oak Bluffs PD said additional information was not available due to the nature of the alleged crime.
“The Oak Bluffs Police Department is a separate and independent law enforcement agency from the Massachusetts State Police and, from the beginning, has conducted this investigation independently and in accordance with the Department’s established policies and procedures. The Massachusetts State Police has had no involvement in the Oak Bluffs Police Department’s investigation,” Chief Searle continued.
The alleged assault is the latest blow for the state’s law enforcement agency, which has been embroiled in several scandals involving troopers accused of everything from sexual assault and drunk driving to openly fist-fighting one another in public and cover-ups in investigations, among other allegations of misconduct.
State Police Sgt. Scott Quigley is accused of hitting and killing a disabled man with his car while driving drunk in 2023. Sgt. Jennifer Penton is accused of conducting an alleged cover-up on Quigley’s behalf, reportedly being “directed by a lieutenant in Quigley’s unit not to question him that night.”
Trooper Christopher Regan was in court this week as he remains suspended after allegedly assaulting and knocking unconscious a fellow trooper at the ReelHouse brewpub in Marina Bay in a one-sided fight that was shown in a video taken off the bar’s security camera. That clip immediately went viral.
This follows the suspension and dishonorable discharge of two other troopers in August for “serious violations” in how one trooper treated women he had pulled over, while the allegations against the other trooper have not been disclosed.
These incidents are not a new trend, looking back at the disgraceful actions and communications made by former Trooper Michael Proctor, for example, whose racist and bigoted text messages were revealed during the internationally viewed Karen Read trial. Proctor led the initial investigation into the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, and his conduct not only drew serious questions about the integrity of his investigation, but also became the source of major embarrassment for the state police.
In September 2024, prospective trooper Enrique Delgado Garcia was killed after suffering a “medical crisis” during a boxing exercise at the New Braintree Academy.
“You know, look, whenever there is an issue, people need to be held to account for that. And you know, whatever has happened or transpired, people need to follow the rules. They need to follow codes of conduct, and if anything happens and they step out of line, then they need to swiftly be brought to justice and held accountable,” Healey said when asked by the Herald on Thursday if the state police needs an overhaul amid the growing list of scandals.
Chief Searle says the department has been in contact with the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office.
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