LOWELL, MASS. (WHDH) – Massachusetts leaders including Gov. Maura Healey and State Police Interim Superintendent Lt. Col. John Mawn faced questions about state police Trooper Michael Proctor Tuesday, one day after the Karen Read murder trial ended in a mistrial.
Proctor was the lead investigator in the Read case and testified for the prosecution in early June.
While on the witness stand, he revealed graphic text messages he sent about Read during the investigation.
Proctor said the texts were “unprofessional and regrettable.” After jurors failed to reach a verdict Mawn on Monday announced Proctor will be formally transferred out of his post within the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective Unit.
Mawn said an internal affairs investigation into Proctor was ongoing. It previously became clear during the trial that a federal investigation is also underway examining the Read investigation.
Though Proctor is still employed by the state police, a spokesperson said the decision to relieve him of duty means he will no longer be working cases or serving as a state police trooper.
“The important piece for us was to continuously monitor the trial, to take the information provided during the pendency of that trial in house in order to make the decisions that we made,” Mawn said.
Healey weighed in on Proctor’s texts after his testimony last month, calling his actions “completely unprofessional.”
Approached at an event in Lowell on Tuesday, Healey said “There’s no tolerance for that behavior” from people working in law enforcement or other public service jobs.
“I’ve been clear about that kind of language and certainly we expect nothing but professionalism from those who serve, not just in law enforcement, but across the public sector,” Healey said.
Prosecutors said Read hit her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her car and leaving him to die outside the Canton home of Brian and Nicole…