A former Lynn police officer has been indicted by an Essex County grand jury on an assault charge and a civil rights violation stemming from a use-of-force incident during a call for service earlier this year. The officer, identified as Gomez, is accused of using unreasonable force while responding to a residence in Lynn on May 16, 2026, and has since resigned from the department.
The indictment was reported by the Essex County District Attorney's Office, as first detailed by WCVB, whose reporter Tim Nazzaro covered the case. Gomez is scheduled to be arraigned on October 8 in Essex County Superior Court in Salem, according to the station's report. Officials said body camera video exists documenting the incident, though it will not be released at this time, per the same account.
How the Case Moves Through Court
The case is scheduled for an arraignment in Essex County Superior Court in Salem. NewsCenter 5 said it reached out to the Lynn Police Department for further comment.
Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 37, willfully interfering with someone's constitutional rights through force or the threat of force is a criminal offense, carrying penalties of up to 10 years in state prison if the alleged conduct results in bodily injury, according to a policy document hosted by PowerDMS. It remains an unproven allegation at this stage, with the criminal case still to be litigated in Superior Court.
A Second Track of Accountability Beyond the Courtroom
Massachusetts' criminal courts are not the only body with authority here. The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission, created under the Commonwealth's 2020 police reform law, has statutory authority to suspend or revoke an officer's certification — a decertification that would bar someone from working in law enforcement anywhere in the state, according to Avery Dooley & Noone, LLP. That same 2020 reform legislation also imposed a duty-to-intervene requirement, meaning officers who witness a colleague using unreasonable or excessive force are legally obligated to step in and report it, per Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 6E, Section 15 as published by the General Court of Massachusetts.
The POST Commission's actions have included a suspension and retraining order for another Lynn officer, Robert Avery.
Department Grappling With Other Recent Oversight Issues
The indictment lands amid a stretch of internal scrutiny for the Lynn Police Department. In August, an internal audit uncovered a pattern of unauthorized license plate reader searches, leading to two officers being placed on administrative leave amid a wave of statewide concern over police surveillance technology, as reported in an earlier Hoodline report on Flock camera misuse.
It is not the department's first major internal misconduct episode. A previous investigation, stemming from a 2020 domestic assault case probed in nearby Salem, uncovered text messages containing racist slurs and references to drug use.
Body Camera Video Has Not Been Released
Officials have confirmed that body camera video of the May 16 incident exists, though it has not been made public.
The Essex County District Attorney's Office presented the indictment to the grand jury.
Gomez's resignation from the department does not resolve the criminal case, which will proceed through Superior Court starting with the October 8 arraignment. The charges remain allegations as the case proceeds.
