SHREWSBURY, Mass. — A police report shared with Boston 25 is shedding new light on a well-being check performed on Westborough Police Chief Todd Minardi last Friday after he was found sleeping in his car near a liquor store parking lot.
According to a Shrewsbury police report, officers were called to conduct a well-being check on a man in his car near Star Liquors on Boston Turnpike. The caller told police it did not appear the man was breathing and that he had been there since the day before.
When the commanding officer arrived, a fellow officer told them that “it’s the Chief of Police for Westborough and he was hammered drunk and had his firearm on him.”
Officers later determined Minardi did not have a firearm.
The commanding officer spoke with the man in the car, who was later identified as Minardi. He was sitting in what appeared to be an unmarked police cruiser.
“I believed this was his unmarked police cruiser, with a ghost plate and had subdued emergency lights hidden throughout,” the report stated.
The officer observed two bottles of Tito’s vodka inside the vehicle. One appeared empty and was sticking out of a black plastic bag, while the other was lying on the seat and also appeared to be empty.
The officer noted that Minardi’s eyes were red, bloodshot and glassy. He also reported that Minardi’s speech was slow and slurred and that there was a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
“His responses to questions were slow, I would ask a question, I could see Todd trying to process the question and then he would respond. Sometimes I was unable to hear or make sense of what he was asking,” the report stated.
The officer noted that Minardi was wearing jeans, a black T-shirt and an unzipped fleece. He also noticed “a police radio and controls for the lights and sirens near the center console.”
The commanding officer reported that Minardi would stare directly into their eyes without blinking and that he apologized multiple times.
Minardi told officers he had only been there for a few hours. However, his wife later told police that he had been missing for two days.
When medics arrived, they asked Minardi what town he was in, and he responded, “Grafton.” When asked how many quarters make a dollar, he answered 25.
Medics determined Minardi needed to be taken to the hospital. He initially refused but was later transported to UMass Hospital.
The town of Westborough said Minardi is on administrative leave and that an outside investigator has been hired to look into the incident.
The vehicle was left in the parking lot for Westborough police to retrieve.
Minardi became Westborough’s police chief in 2023.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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