The Brookline Police Department is facing multiple issues. One of the most recent is the firing of Chief Ashley Gonzalez, who was sworn in on June 1.
The town’s select board voted to fire the police chief after an independent investigation found “multiple admitted, corroborated and sustained allegations of sexual harassment against female employees of the Brookline Police Department in violation of the Town’s policies,” officials said.
Chief Ashley Gonzalez Fired
After only months on the job, Brookline Police Chief Ashley Gonzalez was fired from his position Friday after an investigation found he violated the town’s policy against sexual harassment and retaliation. The Select Board voted to terminate him following an independent review conducted by Quincy-based Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting, which partnered with former Massachusetts State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin and Worcester County Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett.
A 130-page report released by the town said Gonzalez allegedly made inappropriate comments and harassed female employees in the workplace. The report also cited statements made on social media that violated the town’s policies against harassment and retaliation.
The Select Board voted unanimously to terminate the 33-year law enforcement veteran after finding multiple admitted, corroborated and sustained allegations of sexual harassment against female employees of the Brookline Police Department in violation of town policies. Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Paster is now acting chief of the department.
Baby Drowning
In a sad reminder of how quickly drowning can happen, a four-year-old boy died after drowning in a pool at a Brookline home on Memorial Day. According to police, several adults attempted to save the child’s life but were unsuccessful.
The incident took place at a Prescott Street home just before 4:40 p.m., a spokesperson for the Brookline Police Department said in a news release. The boy was found unresponsive in the water, but adults at the scene performed CPR with a police dispatcher’s guidance.
The incident is under investigation by the Brookline Police Department’s detective division along with the Norfolk County district attorney’s office and Massachusetts State Police. The agency said it hoped the death was an accident, but urged residents to be aware of the risks associated with swimming pools and other types of bodies of water. The agency also drew attention to the fact that more children die from drowning than any other cause, other than birth defects.
Newton Man Arrested
On December 4, a Brookline man was arrested and charged with felony assault following an investigation into sexually assaulting a woman. Police said Kenneth Lee Potter, 38, has a history of sexually assaulting women.
During the course of the investigation, police learned that Potter had previously been arrested for a similar assault in Norfolk County. He was released from custody two hours after the incident.
As a result of this information, Brookline and Newton police detectives joined forces to investigate the incident. They received a call from an unidentified person who reported that she had been robbed at gunpoint in a parking lot outside of the Star Market on Route 9 in Newton.
The complainant stated that her assailant was a black male, approximately five feet, ten or eleven inches in height, wearing dark clothes and displaying a silver handgun. She also described him as driving a maroon or rust-colored “K-car type” station wagon. This vehicle was traveling from Newton through Brookline via the Hammond Pond Parkway and West Roxbury Parkway.
Princess Loo Found Trapped
A dog that was taped in a box and dumped in a porta-potty at a Brookline construction site has a new home. Known as Princess Loo, the 22-pound Corgi-mix is now a happy and healthy member of the family. She spent the better part of 11 days at the MSPCA Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, but is now settling in to her new found status.
A woman in western Massachusetts is her new knuckle-dragger. She was one of a few hundred people who applied to adopt her and she certainly made the cut. The MSPCA is not revealing her name or identifying her as the proud owner of the lucky dog. She will be a welcome addition to the local canine community. She was also a well-behaved canine in her short tenure at the kennel and the shelter is ecstatic about the result.
The Brookline Police Department is facing multiple issues. One of the most recent is the firing of Chief Ashley Gonzalez, who was sworn in on June 1.
The town’s select board voted to fire the police chief after an independent investigation found “multiple admitted, corroborated and sustained allegations of sexual harassment against female employees of the Brookline Police Department in violation of the Town’s policies,” officials said.
Chief Ashley Gonzalez Fired
After only months on the job, Brookline Police Chief Ashley Gonzalez was fired from his position Friday after an investigation found he violated the town’s policy against sexual harassment and retaliation. The Select Board voted to terminate him following an independent review conducted by Quincy-based Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting, which partnered with former Massachusetts State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin and Worcester County Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett.
A 130-page report released by the town said Gonzalez allegedly made inappropriate comments and harassed female employees in the workplace. The report also cited statements made on social media that violated the town’s policies against harassment and retaliation.
The Select Board voted unanimously to terminate the 33-year law enforcement veteran after finding multiple admitted, corroborated and sustained allegations of sexual harassment against female employees of the Brookline Police Department in violation of town policies. Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Paster is now acting chief of the department.
Baby Drowning
In a sad reminder of how quickly drowning can happen, a four-year-old boy died after drowning in a pool at a Brookline home on Memorial Day. According to police, several adults attempted to save the child’s life but were unsuccessful.
The incident took place at a Prescott Street home just before 4:40 p.m., a spokesperson for the Brookline Police Department said in a news release. The boy was found unresponsive in the water, but adults at the scene performed CPR with a police dispatcher’s guidance.
The incident is under investigation by the Brookline Police Department’s detective division along with the Norfolk County district attorney’s office and Massachusetts State Police. The agency said it hoped the death was an accident, but urged residents to be aware of the risks associated with swimming pools and other types of bodies of water. The agency also drew attention to the fact that more children die from drowning than any other cause, other than birth defects.
Newton Man Arrested
On December 4, a Brookline man was arrested and charged with felony assault following an investigation into sexually assaulting a woman. Police said Kenneth Lee Potter, 38, has a history of sexually assaulting women.
During the course of the investigation, police learned that Potter had previously been arrested for a similar assault in Norfolk County. He was released from custody two hours after the incident.
As a result of this information, Brookline and Newton police detectives joined forces to investigate the incident. They received a call from an unidentified person who reported that she had been robbed at gunpoint in a parking lot outside of the Star Market on Route 9 in Newton.
The complainant stated that her assailant was a black male, approximately five feet, ten or eleven inches in height, wearing dark clothes and displaying a silver handgun. She also described him as driving a maroon or rust-colored “K-car type” station wagon. This vehicle was traveling from Newton through Brookline via the Hammond Pond Parkway and West Roxbury Parkway.
Princess Loo Found Trapped
A dog that was taped in a box and dumped in a porta-potty at a Brookline construction site has a new home. Known as Princess Loo, the 22-pound Corgi-mix is now a happy and healthy member of the family. She spent the better part of 11 days at the MSPCA Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, but is now settling in to her new found status.
A woman in western Massachusetts is her new knuckle-dragger. She was one of a few hundred people who applied to adopt her and she certainly made the cut. The MSPCA is not revealing her name or identifying her as the proud owner of the lucky dog. She will be a welcome addition to the local canine community. She was also a well-behaved canine in her short tenure at the kennel and the shelter is ecstatic about the result.
