...Several witnesses, including at least two police officers, also reported they saw Santos choking his girlfriend outside the nightclub. A security guard and police tried to break up the altercation, after which Santos reportedly fled the scene...Previous posts:
- [MA] STILL ON THE JOB - Officer Santos, who CHOKED girlfriend! - Four months after internal investigations began into allegations that he choked a woman outside a downtown nightclub, Police Officer Edson Santos is wearing a uniform and responding to calls... witnesses, including at least two police officers, reported they saw him choking his girlfriend...
- [MA] After 6 months Officer Santos finally charged for choking girlfriend - A city police officer is being criminally charged with assault and battery after allegations he choked a woman and shoved another officer outside a downtown nightclub in March...
- [MA] Officer Santos' job - ...Edson Santos is expected to be stripped of his badge for a violent confrontation outside a New Bedford Bar that involved Santos, his girlfriend, and a fellow officer...
southcoasttoday.com
Brian Fraga
By Brian Fraga bfraga@s-t.com
September 05, 2009 12:00 AM
[Excerpts] A former New Bedford police officer charged last year with assault and battery in an incident outside a downtown nightclub will have the case against him dismissed as long as he stays out of trouble for the next year. Edson Santos, 26, had his case continued without a finding for a year after a hearing this week in Taunton District Court. Judge Daniel O'Shea accepted Santos' request for a continuance plea because of the nature of the alleged offense and his lack of a prior criminal record. Prosecutors had sought a one-year probation and a guilty plea to assault and battery on a police officer. Santos allegedly shoved a police officer who responded to a disturbance at Bar 908 in New Bedford... Several witnesses, including at least two police officers, also reported they saw Santos choking his girlfriend outside the nightclub. A security guard and police tried to break up the altercation, after which Santos reportedly fled the scene. A domestic-related assault and battery charge was dismissed against Santos because his girlfriend refused to testify... Gregg Miliote, spokesman for the district attorney, said prosecutors argued that Santos should have been found guilty of assault and battery since he was a police officer at the time of the incident... "Certainly we're grateful the court acknowledged the general good character of Mr. Santos and gave him that benefit of the continuance," [Santos' lawyer, Robert] Galibois said... The New Bedford Police Department fired Santos in March... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement teflon massachusetts]
The sentence is typical of most sentences in that court so I'm not shocked. Also typical is that the DA, who could have gone to trial without Santos' girlfriend or even compelled her to testify just dropped it. This is the typical spineless political move because the average person reads that a case was dropped because the victim failed to testify and just assumes that is how it has to be. In reality, people are compelled to testify every day and there were numerous witnesses that could have testified. This DA, though better than the last joke of a DA, is cut from the same cloth. The real issue is how the police department tried to cover this up. This could have been handled that night if the on duty sergeant had more brains and balls instead of bragging that he has both. If Santos were not a cop he would have been arrested or charged that night. Period. It happens every single day. The on duty lieutenant clearly did nothing either and was allowed to do so at the direct order of the deputy chief who is now retired. The other deputy chief, the chief and the mayor then hid their head in the sand and hoped everything would disappear. That is the typical response there. Somehow no news is good news to people in those positions so they will actively cover things up to make sure that is the case. Last but not least is the ever present minority card. The card that has almost every non minority running scrared because if you dare to have an opinion or take action against some who happens to be a minority, especially in Massachusetts, you run the very real risk or being found by MCAD to be a racist or at least accused of being one personally. Having a leadership position doesn't make someone a leader and being sworn to uphold the law doesn't mean someone won't break it to save their own hide. I'm willing to bet many decent officers and leaders work in New Bedford but like a septic system the crap always floats to the top. Other than the poor sap who responded and came forward it doesn't seem like the supervisors, the mayor or the DA acted like anything other than what floats in a septic system. Maybe someday that will change but while I'm crossing my fingers I'm not holding my breath.
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