What to Know
- Kevin Albert is a member of the Canton Police Department and a brother of Brian Albert, who owns the Fairview Road home where Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe was found unresponsive in the snow on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022, as well as a Canton Select Board member.
- Kevin Albert was being investigated for his alleged actions in a night of drinking with Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor in 2022, allegations that came to light when Proctor testified during the Karen Read trial.
- Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty told NBC10 Boston that the investigative report into Kevin Albert's actions is being withheld due to "ongoing investigations by other agencies into the subject matter," while the discipline Albert received is being denied because it is a personnel record and was decided on in a Select Board executive session, which is confidential.
The town of Canton, Massachusetts, has decided on formal discipline for Det. Kevin Albert, who was suspended with pay as part of the fallout of the Karen Read trial, but what that discipline is hasn't been made public.
Albert was under investigation for his alleged actions in a night of drinking with Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor in 2022. The allegations came to light as Proctor, who was the lead investigator in the Read case, testified during the trial.
The town said Tuesday that it has decided on formal discipline for Albert. However, town officials and the police department declined to share what that discipline was or to release the investigative report.
"The Canton Police Department hired an independent investigator who conducted a thorough investigation of the allegations of misconduct by Detective Albert," the town said in a statement provided to NBC10 Boston. "Following the investigation, the Select Board reviewed the report and had an opportunity to question the investigator and Detective Albert about the scope and sufficiency of the investigation as well as the substance of the allegations. The Select Board voted that discipline be imposed by the Chief of Police which Detective Albert has accepted."
The statement also noted that Select Board Member Chris Albert, who is Kevin Albert's brother, recused himself.
UPDATE: Formal discipline now decided for Det. Kevin Albert following independent investigation. However, the decision has not been made public yet by Canton PD or the town's selectboard. Will update when more is known. #KarenReadTrial https://t.co/9rDleVjsP6
— Glenn Jones (@GlennBostonTV) September 11, 2024
Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty told NBC10 Boston Wednesday that the investigative report into Albert's actions is being withheld due to "ongoing investigations by other agencies into the subject matter." She didn't specify what other agencies' investigations involved the investigative report.
What discipline Albert received is being denied because it is a personnel record, which isn't part of the investigative report, and that it was decided on in a Select Board executive session, which is confidential.
"We are committed to making these records available as soon as the other investigations are completed and it is appropriate to do so," Rafferty wrote in an email.
During Karen Read's trial, Proctor testified about his ties to the Albert family and a night of drinking with Kevin Albert on July 19, 2022. In text messages the next morning, Proctor told Kevin Albert that he'd found his badge in his cruiser.
Albert told him to leave it in his mailbox, and then said, "Did I take my gun?" and included a wincing face emoji. Officials said in July that Albert was placed on paid leave amid an independent investigation.
One of Albert's brothers, Brian Albert, is a Boston police officer who owns the Fairview Road home where John O'Keefe — Read's boyfriend and a fellow Boston police officer — was found unresponsive in the snow on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022. His other brother, Chris Albert, serves on the Canton Select Board. Courtney Proctor, Michael Proctor's sister, is the best friend of Chris Albert's wife, Julie. All these connections led the defense to raise questions about potential conflicts of interest and bias.
Early in the investigation into O'Keefe's death, the Canton Police Department removed itself from the case due to the potential for a conflict of interest.
Read was charged with murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death. Her defense has argued that she was framed in a coverup involving Proctor, members of the Albert family and others. A mistrial was declared in July, though prosecutors have said they intend to retry the case.
Proctor is currently under investigation and suspended without pay from the Massachusetts State Police. It comes after his testimony in Read's trial revealed his apparent misconduct during the investigation into O'Keefe's death.
