It's Friday! The Artemis II astronauts are set to splash down today. Click here for more on what to expect from their fiery return to Earth. But first, let's get to the local news: Speaking out: Calls are growing for officials to release the body camera footage of a Boston police officer's fatal shooting of a Dorchester man nearly a month ago. As WBUR's Eve Zuckoff reports in this story, the family of Stephenson King Jr., who was shot and killed during an attempted traffic stop on March 11, gathered for a press conference at a church in Roxbury yesterday. The family talked about his longtime mental health struggles, which they said had worsened in recent months, and pressed for the body camera footage to be released. In a rare move, county prosecutors have charged BPD officer Nicholas O'Malley with manslaughter, saying that the footage showed King was trying to drive away and that O’Malley wasn't acting in self-defense. Stephenson King Sr. said yesterday that releasing the video would shed light on "what really happened." - A growing chorus: The push echoes previous calls by Rep. Ayanna Pressley and members of the Boston City Council for the footage's release. "These families and the city deserve real answers, and that is exactly what we are here to deliver," City Councilor Miniard Culpepper said during a meeting last month.
- Why not? The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and Boston Police Department have both declined to release the video, citing public records exemptions for active investigations. Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden has said he plans to take the case to a grand jury. "No body camera video is going to be released prior to that," BPD lawyer Dave Fredette told city councilors earlier this week. However, as the Boston Herald reported, Culpepper argues that Boston police aren't required to follow suit with the district attorney on the matter.
- Lawyering up: Earlier this week, the King family retained lawyer Ben Crump, a well-known civil rights and personal injury attorney whose previous clients include the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. "We saw with the George Floyd video, Ahmaud Arbery video, Sonya Massey video, all these videos were released and yet they still had successful prosecutions,” Crump said during the press conference yesterday.
- Meanwhile: O'Malley's legal team announced yesterday that former Karen Read lawyer David Yannetti is joining their defense. An online fundraising campaign has raised over $500,000 to support the officer's family.
- POSTED ELSEWHERE:
Man shot by Boston police officer had been hospitalized hours before he was killed, family says
Off the rails: Another three-day suspension of MBTA commuter rail service in and out of North Station begins today. Due to work to upgrade the signal system by the drawbridge outside North Station ( signal upgrades, the new track work !), trains on the Fitchburg, Lowell, Haverhill and Newburyport/Rockport lines will all begin and end outside the city. That means riders on those lines will have to switch onto shuttle buses and/or the MBTA's subway system to complete their trip — which could add 40 to 70 minutes onto their journey. The T has more details here. - Meanwhile, on the other side of the system, commuter rail service between South Station and Braintree will be suspended for the next three weekends. (That affects the New Bedford/Fall River, Greenbush and Kingston lines.) The good news is you can just switch onto the Red Line.
- In related news: The MBTA sold more than 17,000 World Cup train tickets on the first day of sales Wednesday, including 11,000 in the first hour, a clip the T says has only been matched by Taylor Swift fans. But is it fair for them to charge $80? WBUR's Morning Edition discussed it here. (Audio coming soon.)
On Beacon Hill: Massachusetts lawmakers have sent their newly negotiated marijuana reform deal to Gov. Maura Healey's desk. After unanimous approval Wednesday in the House, the Senate passed the bill yesterday on a 33-6 vote. - What's next: If signed by Healey, the bill would immediately reshape the state's controversy-plagued Cannabis Control Commission. The bill calls for the CCC's current five-member commission to be dissolved upon its enactment. Then, Healey would have 30 days to appoint the new three-person board (which may or may not include current commissioners).
Signature Healthcare, the company that runs Brockton Hospital, said yesterday it could take two weeks for operations to return to normal after a cyberattack across its system earlier this week. As The Enterprise reports, the incident forced Brockton Hospital to revert to pen-and-paper records "like it's 1975." - Additionally, ambulances are now being diverted to other hospitals and Signature's Brockton and East Bridgewater pharmacies are unable to refill prescriptions. Surgeries and other procedures are happening as scheduled. (You can check this page for updates on what services are being affected.)
Opening days: The Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo is opening a second Boston location today in a long-vacant Downtown Crossing storefront. P.S.— What would kids under 14 be banned from using under a bill that passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives this week? Take our Boston News Quiz. |
