Scathing report condemns 'flawed judgment' in MSP arrest report scandal

BOSTON — Former State Police Colonel Rick McKeon showed "flawed judgment and the lack of a professional analysis" when he forced a trooper to revise the arrest report of a judge's daughter last year, according to the final report issued Friday by the investigation ordered by the new Colonel.

McKeon stepped down from his post as the state's top police official in the wake of revelations that a trooper was ordered to redact a vulgar statement from an arrest report in October.

Alli Bibaud was arrested on Oct. 16 after allegedly swerving into a police construction detail on I-190 in Worcester. Bibaud, the daughter of Dudley District Court Judge Timothy Bibaud, told officers she was having an argument with a man in her car, which caused her to swerve.

MORE: Vulgar statement removed from arrest report of local judge's daughter

During her arrest, Bibaud allegedly made a comment referring to oral sex when she was asked about how she obtained the drugs she was accused of being on.

According to the findings of the investigation listed in the report, Col. McKeon contacted the trooper and ordered him to revise the arrest report to remove the vulgar language.

"He knew that report had been filed in court and that a complaint had been issued against Bibaud based on the report," the report states. "Col. McKeon's order ... was not supported by the State Police training on police report writing and was not based on any existing rule, policy or guideline of the State Police concerning report writing."

Furthermore, the report confirms Worcester Country District Attorney Joseph Early called then-Col. McKeon on Oct. 17 and asked if he had seen the report. It also notes Early provided McKeon with the name of the Trooper who had filed it.

MORE: TIMELINE: Mass. State Police arrest report scandal

The trooper is 29-year-old Ryan Sceviour, who was found to have followed proper procedure in filing his report, according to the investigation. He said in a legal complaint filed against State Police he hadn't been able to sleep since being forced to edit and redact the police report.

The sergeant who approved the report was also found to have exercised "appropriate supervisory responsibilities."

"The response of the MSP Command Staff to the Bibaud report has eroded confidence in the management abilities of the MSP, both within the organization and among the public," the report states.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker's office issued the following statement on Friday regarding the report:

"The Baker-Polito Administration is in the process of increasing oversight and accountability at the State Police and the Administration will work with Colonel Gilpin to implement many of the recommendations made in today's report. Colonel Gilpin's decision to order this independent report is one of many steps she has initiated to restore public trust in the Department and the Administration will continue to work with her to increase accountability and oversight."

Cox Media Group