A police officer in Brockton, Massachusetts, who caused a late-night crash that injured a family, is getting a promotion to lieutenant.
Last month, the NBC10 Boston Investigators reported how Stanley David received a short unpaid suspension for what the police chief described as "poor judgement" that damaged the reputation of the department.
However, the crash that occurred shortly after leaving a bar at closing time was not enough to prevent a promotion to the high-ranking position.
This week at a city meeting, council members made the ceremonial vote to approve David's ascension in the department.
The new lieutenant, who did not respond to previous NBC10 Boston inquiries about the crash, briefly addressed council members from the podium.
"I've been on the job for about 26 years," David said. "I appreciate what you guys have done here. Just want to say 'Thank you,' and I have a couple more years to serve the City of Brockton."
An Internal Affairs investigation revealed David was drinking on the night in May 2023 when he collided into a family's vehicle as they sat at a red light.
Investigations
The incident was first reported by the NBC10 Boston Investigators, who spoke to the couple about the frightening ordeal with their baby boy sitting in the backseat.
Even though the department's internal investigation determined there was not enough evidence to prove David was intoxicated behind the wheel, Chief Brenda Perez concluded the findings warranted a three-day unpaid suspension for conduct unbecoming of an officer.
"This decision is based on substantial evidence that underscores both poor judgement on your part and the subsequent damage to the reputation of the Brockton Police Department," Perez wrote in a letter to David.
The report obtained by the NBC10 Boston Investigators included video from surveillance cameras at Brack's Grille and Tap in Brockton.
According to the documents, David arrived at the establishment after consuming "3-4 vodka tonics" at an earlier social event with the Brockton Police Relief Association.
The video shows David walking "awkwardly" through the bar's front doors, having at least one beverage, commiserating with other patrons, and chatting with a bartender.
David left the establishment at closing time about 1 a.m. Moments later, he crashed into another vehicle as it stopped at a red light on Belmont Street.
Damian Dorsey and Jessica Nash were in the other car with their 5-month-old baby boy, Beckham, sitting in the back seat.
"It was literally like a bomb had gone off in our car," Dorsey told us about the impact that pushed their vehicle 300 feet through the intersection. "The headrests came out of the seats. To get rear-ended like that still gives me chills."
Before first responders took the family to the hospital, Dorsey said witnesses at the scene reported the driver of the other vehicle was intoxicated.
However, when the couple later obtained a copy of the police report, it said no witnesses provided a statement. They also noticed that police did not conduct a field sobriety test.
The couple has since retained an attorney and said they have been advised to make no further public comments.
Investigators interviewed 11 police officers about the incident, along with a witness who took several videos at the crash scene, and a bartender at Brack's.
Coworkers at the social event recalled seeing David with a drink in his hand, but not showing any signs of intoxication. Officers who responded to the crash scene also told investigators they did not observe probable cause to conduct a field sobriety test.
A lieutenant who responded to the scene after learning the crash involved a Brockton police officer eventually gave David a ride home.
David's story changed, according to the report. On scene that night, he told other officers he "may have dozed off" behind the wheel. He later reported being distracted by his vehicle's audio screen before the collision.
Captain Steven Williamson reviewed the Internal Affairs case, which took more than a year to complete, on two different occasions and determined there was insufficient evidence to sustain an allegation that David was driving while drunk.
However, the police chief concluded the details amounted to "conduct unbecoming of an officer," while noting David's years of service and absence of previous disciplinary history.
As we reported at the time, the Civil Service list for Brockton police indicated David was next in line for a promotion to lieutenant.
A spokesperson for Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan told us that he supports the decision made by the police chief to elevate David up the ranks.
