A Milford police officer previously fired by the Hopkinton Police Department over child rape reporting has now had his certification suspended by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission.
The Hopkinton Police Department terminated former Sgt. Timothy Brennan back in February after the town said Brennan failed to report sexual assault allegations against now-retired Deputy Police Chief John Porter. Porter was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2004 and 2005 when he was a school resource officer. He had pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Once the victim was an adult she told Brennan about the allegations. He eventually convinced her to report Porter to the district attorney, but, according to the POST Commission suspension order, Brennan did not report the allegations himself until after the DA initiated an investigation.
The town hired an outside investigator after finding out Brennan may have had prior knowledge of the alleged assaults and not acted. Earlier this year, Hopkinton police released documents related to the case on its website.
Brennan has been trying to appeal to the town of Hopkinton's decision through arbitration.
Brennan was sworn in by the Milford Police Department in July. However, the suspension order, effective as of Aug. 15, on his certification will put that job in jeopardy.
The suspension order is not a final decision and Brennan has the right to request a hearing on the matter. NBC10 Boston is reaching out to the Milford Police Department and Brennan's attorney for comment.
