The Mass. State Police has issued a distinct administrative penalty to Detective Lieutenant Brian Tully, docking six days of his accrued leave following an internal inquiry into his conduct related to the Karen Read homicide case. Tully was rebuked for inadequate oversight and failure to discipline those under his command who engaged in unprofessional text messaging during an active investigation, as reported by NBC Boston.
The texts in question sent by Trooper Michael Proctor, were described as "unprofessional and regrettable" by Proctor himself, in testament offered this past summer. Tully, who had been at the helm of the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office's detective unit, reportedly, admonished Proctor upon discovery of the messages, escalating the issue to his superiors. This administrative action follows Proctor's earlier suspension without pay, as per the NBC Boston.
Labels such as "Class B" and "Class C" violations have been assigned to Tully's wrongdoings by the State Police, indicating breaches in supervisory duty as well as shortcomings in evaluating personnel performance and documentation. This revelation came amidst a public statement by the agency this Tuesday where Tully's shortcomings in judgment were addressed. According to a report by WCVB, "Tully failed to properly evaluate members and did not properly document negative performance in the system."
Further details on the impact of these infractions on Tully's current role within the state police were not immediately forthcoming. The Mass. State Police did, however, note that Tully "will continue to be available to assist the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office with any cases in which he was previously involved," maintaining a thread of continuity in ongoing cases. The fallout from this disciplinary action appears so far to be limited to the forfeiture of leave, with no mention of additional repercussions or changes in Tully's employment status, according to NBC Boston.
