Boston Pays $12M To Settle Case Of Man Freed After Misconduct Boston agreed to pay $12 million to Shaun Jenkins, a Dorchester man who spent nearly 19 years behind bars for a 2001 killing he has always maintained he did not commit. The settlement, finalized in October 2024, was revealed through public records and recent media coverage, marking a significant resolution to a case that exposed systemic issues in the city’s law enforcement and prosecutorial practices. Jenkins was released from prison in 2021 after a judge overturned his 2005 murder conviction, citing widespread police and prosecutorial misconduct. The settlement, which was initially kept confidential, underscores the financial and reputational risks faced by Boston authorities when dealing with wrongful convictions. Jenkins’s attorneys, Nick Brustin and Katie McCarthy, emphasized that the city’s decision to settle rather than proceed to trial reflected its awareness of the potential for greater liability if the case had gone to court. “The City’s settlement demonstrates it knew it faced much greater liability if the case went to trial,” they stated, as reported by The Boston Globe. Despite the settlement, spokespeople for Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Police Department declined to comment on the matter. Jenkins’s conviction unraveled after newly surfaced evidence cast doubt on the prosecution’s case. In 2023, he filed a federal civil rights complaint naming several Boston detectives and alleging that they engaged in misconduct, including paying witnesses and concealing critical evidence. Court filings and investigative reports by WBUR detailed how the prosecution’s original theory linking Jenkins to the crime was undermined by undisclosed information.#boston_police_department #michelle_wu #shaun_jenkins #nick_brustin #katie_mccarthy
Boston Police Officer Shoots Man During Carjacking Pursuit A Boston police officer shot a man during a pursuit involving a vehicle linked to an alleged carjacking near Columbus Avenue in Roxbury late Wednesday night, authorities reported. The incident occurred after officers responded to a carjacking call at 1500 Tremont Street. According to Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, the involved vehicle was stopped shortly before 10 p.m. at 10 Linwood Square. As police approached the vehicle, the driver accelerated and struck a Boston police cruiser, Cox stated. No officers were injured in the collision. Officers then fired their weapons at the suspect, who was later transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead, Cox said. The officers involved in the incident were also taken to the hospital for evaluation but were not harmed, officials added. Cox expressed condolences to the victim’s family, emphasizing that the police department’s intent is never to take a life. “Our intent is never to take a life,” he said, while acknowledging the tragic circumstances of the event. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden also arrived at the scene, describing the situation as “tragic and unfortunate.” Hayden noted that the matter is under active investigation, stating that there is still much unknown about the incident. “There’s a lot more that we don’t know than we do know at this point, and it’s going to take us some time to really get a complete understanding,” he said. Authorities warned that the case is still developing and that further updates would be provided as more information becomes available. The incident highlights the complex and often dangerous nature of police pursuits and the challenges law enforcement faces in balancing public safety with the use of force.#boston_police_department #michael_cox #kevin_hayden #roxbury #carjacking_incident
