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Video allegedly shows Trooper asleep on the job, MSP investigating

NEWTON, Mass. — A video apparently showing a Massachusetts State Trooper sleeping on the job now has the Trooper under investigation.

A man claims he saw the Trooper sleeping in his cruiser on several different days. In the video, the man walks up to the cruiser, phone in hand, recording, then knocks on the window.

“Bro, I see you sleeping here every single morning,” says the man who goes by the name Shaun. “Going on Facebook Live...Every morning I drive by, you’re [expletive] sleeping, I can’t even see you in the front seat.”

The Massachusetts State Police sent the following statement to Boston 25:

We are aware of the video, which appears to show conduct that is clearly unsatisfactory, and we have opened an Internal Affairs investigation.”

“Clearly, obviously the officer was sleeping,” said Dan Linskey, a Boston 25 security analyst.

>>>MORE: 25 Investigates: Mass State Police engaged in 164 vehicle pursuits so far in 2021

But that’s not his only concern.

“However, the bigger question for me is if the motorist reports going by on several occasions and observing this activity, what is the supervision like?” Linskey asked.

Linskey says that will be part of the investigation as well as what circumstances led up to it.

“Was he in court and doing forced overtime assignments, or was this a voluntary detail assignment that he’s overextended himself?”

And he adds that the “gotcha” mentality isn’t going away for police or anyone else.

“There are just 100 more cameras and a thousand more eyes that are able to get you,” Linksey said.

So, as a former Superintendent-in-Chief for Boston Police, he offers this advice:

“If you’re taking a detail and don’t have the ability to stay awake during it, you shouldn’t do it and you owe it to others not to do it,” Linskey said.

Mass State Police also tell Boston 25 the Trooper in the video is a graduate from the 2020 Academy and is still employed.