Boston Police officer sent threatening note, fake speeding ticket after road rage incident, according to court documents
A Boston police officer who allegedly sent a threatening note and fake speeding ticket to a driver he said cut him off was arraigned Tuesday, according to Suffolk County court documents obtained by CNN affiliate WBZ.
Christopher Curtis pleaded not guilty to charges of sending a forged traffic citation, false report by a public employee, witness intimidation, misleading an investigation, and unlawfully obtaining Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI), according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
Curtis’ lawyer, Robert M. Griffin said he has “no comment on the matter at this time.”
Curtis was driving his Toyota truck on Interstate 93 on March 1, 2019 while off-duty when he got into a road rage incident, according to court documents. He is accused of using the victim’s license plate number to find the victim’s home address, sending a forged speeding ticket and a note that accused the victim of driving 90 miles per hour in a 65 mile-per-hour zone, according to court documents.
Curtis’ alleged note said the other driver owed $790 as a result of the infraction and told him to “try fighting this … I dare you!” It concluded with “see you in court,” which the driver presented when appealing the ticket in Woburn District Court.
The only problem? There was no ticket matching the case number from Massachusetts State Police, according to court documents.
Curtis initially denied the allegations against him, but after investigators tracked the ticket to a ticket book signed out by Curtis and found the description of a white Toyota Tundra with a damaged grill matched a truck Curtis owned, he “remember[ed] completely,” according to investigators, though Curtis “became absurd in his explanations.”
Although he admitted to authoring the note, Curtis said he didn’t mean to attach it to the ticket and meant to mail it as a joke to another officer, the court documents show.
In a statement to CNN, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said, “These allegations outline an abuse of power by an individual responsible for protecting the public and upholding the law. The community’s relationship with members of law enforcement relies on trust, and actions like these harm the ability of every member of law enforcement to effectively perform their vital duties.”
Curtis is currently on unpaid administrative leave, Boston Police Sgt. Det. John Boyle confirmed to CNN, but he could not comment further on an “active investigation.”
He is currently out on his own recognizance and was ordered to refrain from any contact with the alleged victim. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 28.
