Dorchester man arrested for Illegal possession of a firearm.

Lamont Seams

On May 23, 2020 at approximately 12:30AM a Transit Police officer assigned to the South District was travelling on Dorchester Avenue when his attention was drawn to Nissan Sentra being operated by Lamont Seams, 38, of Dorchester. Seams was weaving back and forth outside of the solid yellow line and proceeded through a red light at the intersection of Dorchester Avenue and Gallivan Boulevard nearly striking pedestrians. The officer conducted a traffic stop of Seams in the 2000 block of Dorchester Avenue. The officers detected signs of intoxication from Seams and also observed a 9mm firearm on the floorboard of the rear passenger seat. Ultimately Seams failed field sobriety tests, the fully loaded firearm was recovered and Seams was placed into custody and transported to TPD HQ for the arrest booking process. Seams will be charged with Possession of a Firearm W/out a License, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition and OUI Alcohol.

media inquiries should be directed to Superintendent Richard Sullivan at rsullivan@mbta.com

 the events listed above are allegations; All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt

Weymouth man arrested for Illegal Possession of a Firearm.

Elijah Messier

On May 22, 2020 at approximately 9AM Transit Police officers on a detail assignment at the MBTA's Maverick Sq. station were approached by a male who informed them he was just assaulted by an unknown male armed with a firearm. The victim went on to state his assailant, later identified as Elijah Messier,20, of Weymouth asked him to borrow a lighter. When the victim declined Messier became angry and removed a firearm from his person and pointed it at the victim. The victim provided a description of Messier and officers observed Messier on the escalator. Messier attempted to flee and briefly was out of view of the officers. Officers were able to detain Messier and a firearm was located under a MBTA information sign in close proximity to Messier.

Messier was positively identified by the victim and was placed into custody and transported to TPD HQ for the arrest booking process. During this process officers discovered Messier was in possession of what the officers believed to be Heroin. Messier will be charged with Possession of a Firearm W/out a License and Possession w/Intent to Distribute a Class A Substance and Armed Assault.

media inquiries should be directed to Superintendent Richard Sullivan at rsullivan@mbta.com

 the events listed above are allegations; All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt

UPDATE: Arrest made in Armed Assault Investigation.

Demond Perry

On May 21, 2020 we posted photo of a person of interest relative to an Armed Assault investigation (See posting here). Subsequent to an investigation by Transit Police Detectives, Demond Perry, 44, of Jamaica Plain please into custody while at Chinatown MBTA station on May 21, 2020. Perry was transported to TPD HQ for the arrest booking process.

media inquiries should be directed to Superintendent Richard Sullivan at rsullivan@mbta.com

 the events listed above are allegations; All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt

DA Rollins announces indictment of former TPD Officer Shawn McCarthy

Former TPD Officer Indicted for 2012 Sexual Assaults

Officer Accused of Assaults Committed While On-Duty and Armed

BOSTON, May 21, 2020 — A former Transit Police officer was arraigned today on rape charges, after a unique Suffolk Superior Court grand jury was reconvened this week to finish a series of cases they had been hearing prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins announced.

Shawn McCarthy

Among the 99 indictments returned so far against 28 defendants are three that charge Shawn McCarthy, 46, of Wilmington with sexually assaulting two women in July 2012 while working as an armed, uniformed MBTA police officer. 

McCarthy appeared for booking at MBTA police headquarters in Boston and was arraigned remotely by Suffolk Superior Court Judge Michael D. Ricciuti.  He was released on the conditions that he have no contact with the victims or other witnesses and obtain permission to travel outside Massachusetts, as requested by Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum, chief of District Attorney Rollins’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit.

The Commonwealth alleges that the victims, then in their early 20s, were drinking in Boston when they encountered McCarthy outside the Aquarium subway station.  Against the advice of a fellow officer, McCarthy offered the women a joyride in his marked police cruiser and drove them around the area with blue lights flashing.  After stopping in a vacant lot so the women could relieve themselves, McCarthy said he hadn’t risked his job for nothing and he would not take them back downtown until he got something out of it.  The women stated that they feared getting in trouble and had no choice but to submit as McCarthy subjected them to sexual acts.  Specifically, he penetrated one victim’s vagina with his fingers and his penis as she stood against the parked cruiser; and inserted his fingers into the second victim’s vagina as she sat in the backseat of the vehicle.  He then drove them back to the area where they had met and warned them not to tell anyone about the episode.

One of the victims disclosed the assault soon afterward to a male relative.  In August 2019 she had to divulge it again while answering required questions as a candidate for a law-enforcement job in another community.  Up to that point both victims had believed the perpetrator worked for the Boston Police Department.  The matter was initially referred to BPD and further investigation identified the assailant as a Transit Police officer. A grand jury investigation with the MBTA police followed.  McCarthy admitted that he had two women in the cruiser on the night in question but denied any wrongdoing.  He was placed on administrative leave in December 2019 and resigned soon afterward.

“It takes great courage for survivors in a case like this to come forward,” District Attorney Rollins said.  “Members of law enforcement are held to a higher standard of conduct because the public’s trust in them is vital. Victims turn to police in the aftermath of a crime and police turn the community to help solve crime. When a member of any law enforcement agency commits such a horrendous act, it erodes the community’s confidence in law enforcement as a whole. When law enforcement asks for the community’s help in solving crime, we and the police must be trusted. My office intends to hold this individual accountable as part of our efforts to rebuild the community’s trust in this noble profession.”

            “I would like to thank the Transit Police Department, and especially Superintendent Richard Sullivan, for leading this investigation with integrity and diligence, and for the compassion they showed to the victims of these crimes,” District Attorney Rollins said.

The indictments against McCarthy were returned Monday, May 18, 2020 by members of the grand jury who were reconvened this week after their service to the Commonwealth was interrupted by the closure of Massachusetts courts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  Last month, District Attorney Rollins wrote to Chief Justice Judith Fabricant of the Superior Court requesting that the court allow an emergency convening of the grand jury to continue hearing cases under strict social distancing protocols.  Acting at District Attorney Rollins’ request, Chief Justice Fabricant permitted the Suffolk County grand jury to return to service during the week of May 18, 2020.  In each of the serious felony cases involved, Suffolk County prosecutors had already begun presenting evidence to the panel in the weeks and months prior to the declaration of a State of Emergency on March 10, 2020. 

The District Attorney’s office and the court are using social distancing measures, technology and other precautions to ensure that all participants in the process remain safe and healthy. Suffolk County is the only district in Massachusetts and one of only a handful of jurisdictions in the country where grand jurors are currently hearing felony cases for indictment.

            Sexual assault can happen to anyone. While the victims of any crime are asked to call 911 in an emergency, survivors of sexual violence can also call their local rape crisis center for free and confidential services and to discuss their options. Support is available for all survivors of sexual violence, regardless of whether they wish to take part in a criminal prosecution. Services by city and town can be found at www.janedoe.org/find_help/search. 

In Suffolk County, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center offers a free and confidential 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides medical accompaniment and many other free services to victims of rape and sexual assault. Suffolk victim-witness advocates can assist in referrals to BARCC and a wide array of non-profit service providers who can offer additional support and services.

Anne Kelley-McCarthy is the DA’s Victim-Witness Advocate assigned to the case.  McCarthy is represented by Attorney Terrence Kennedy.  The case returns to court August 10, 2020.

Wanted: Identification re: Armed Assault by means of a Knife

If you know the whereabouts or identity of this individual please contact our Criminal Investigations Unit at 617-222-1050. If you would like to assist our investigators but wish to remain anonymous you can always text us your tip to 873873 or use the anonymous feature on our SeeSay app

The subject depicted within is wanted for questioning relative to an Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Knife) on bored an Orange Line Train near MBTA Tufts Medical Station. on Saturday, May 16, 2020, at approximately 3:40 PM.

media inquiries should be directed to Superintendent Richard Sullivan at rsullivan@mbta.com

 the events listed above are allegations; All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt

Sex Offender assaults woman on Red Line train.

Christopher Nettles

On May 19, 2020 at approximately 7:45AM Transit Police officers assigned to the Central District received a radio call to respond to Charles MBTA station to meet a victim of an assault. Upon arrival officers with the victim and were informed of the following: the victim while riding an inbound Red Line train was indecently assaulted by a male, later identified as Christopher Nettles, 46, of Dorchester. The victim provided a description to officers and they ordered train service held and located Nettles still on board the train at the next stop. Nettles was brought back were the victim positively identified him as her assailant.

Nettles was placed into custody and transported to TPD HQ for the arrest booking process. During this process it was discovered Nettles had a warrant in existence for his arrest issued out of Roxbury District Court for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

media inquiries should be directed to Superintendent Richard Sullivan at rsullivan@mbta.com 

   the events listed above are allegations; All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reason