FALL RIVER, Mass. — A former Fall River police officer was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday on various charges related to the abuse of his authority while he was on duty as a law enforcement officer.
Michael Pessoa, 40, has been with the Fall River Police Department for 17 years. He was placed on paid administrative leave since April 23 and continues to be while the investigation is ongoing.
Pessoa was charged with one count of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault and battery, four counts of civil rights violation with bodily injury, three counts of intimidation of a witness (misleading), three counts of filing a false report by a public officer and one count of malicious destruction of property.
He is accused of using excessive and unnecessary force in four separate incidents, which happened in 2014, 2018 and twice in 2019. Pessoa is also accused of violating the civil rights of those he was arresting and filing fake police reports.
Victims in at least three of the four cases were injured and had to be taken to the hospital.
The department was made aware of the matter in March 2019 and has since been investigating.
Pessoa is likely to be arraigned on the indictments on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Fall River District Court.
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