Karen Read Files Lawsuit Alleging Misconduct and Negligence

A lawsuit has been filed by Karen Read against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton. The suit raises allegations of misconduct and negligence in the investigation that led to her prosecution following the death of her boyfriend, a Boston police officer.

This suit, submitted to Bristol County Superior Court, claims Read’s acquittal in June revealed deeply rooted issues within both the police department and the town. These alleged issues include bigotry, misogyny, systemic failures, and institutional problems. The lawsuit targets the town and police department for alleged negligence in hiring, training, and supervising their officers.

Attempts to obtain comments from the town of Canton and the Canton Police Department were unsuccessful, as they did not respond to email requests.

The lawsuit follows Read’s release from court about a year ago. Her release came after over three years and two trials related to her boyfriend’s death. Officer John O’Keefe, her boyfriend, was discovered on a suburban lawn after a heavy drinking night during a snowstorm.

Read was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene. However, the jury only convicted her of drunken driving. The prosecution accused Read of hitting O’Keefe with her SUV in January 2022 and leaving him in the blizzard to die.

Her defense team argued against these claims by suggesting police misconduct. They hypothesized that O’Keefe was killed by his colleagues, who allegedly covered up the incident. The case heavily scrutinized lead investigator Michael Proctor, who the defense accused of bias. Proctor had been found guilty of sending derogatory text messages about Read and was later dismissed from his position.

The complaint elaborates further on Proctor and another officer, former Canton police Sgt. Sean Goode. It cites communications that allegedly contain racist, sexist, and derogatory remarks. Read claims these actions indicate that both men were not suitable for the investigation. Her suit argues that these issues reflect broader lapses in oversight by law enforcement at the state and local levels.

As of November 2025, Goode had been placed on leave following misconduct allegations. Recent reports confirm his resignation earlier this week.