A 44-year-old Sandwich police officer is facing a drunk driving charge after his BMW X5 left the road, tore through a neighbor's stone flower beds, and slammed into a parked car in the Forestdale village Friday night. Officer Matthew Cotter was not injured in the crash, but Massachusetts State Police troopers who responded suspected he may have been impaired and gave him a field sobriety test at the scene.
According to Massachusetts State Police records relayed by Cape Wide News, Cotter's BMW left the roadway, crossed a neighboring property, destroyed stone flower beds, and came to rest in the driveway at 33 Grand Oak Road after colliding with a parked vehicle. The crash happened around 9:30 p.m., and a woman at the property called police after a vehicle drove through her bushes and hit her parked car, according to CBS News. Responding officers identified Cotter as the driver of the black BMW, which had heavy front-end damage, per the outlet's report.
Cotter was off duty at the time of the crash and now faces charges of OUI liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violations, and operating an unregistered motor vehicle, the station's report states. He was taken to the Massachusetts State Police barracks in Bourne for processing following his arrest on the OUI-related charges.
A Relative's Alleged Confrontation With a Videographer
While troopers were taking Cotter into custody, a relative of his reportedly assaulted an independent news videographer who was filming the arrest, according to police, per the same CBS News account. The independent outlet involved was Hyannis News, whose videographer reported being verbally abused and physically shoved by Cotter's relative while recording the scene. The Sandwich Police Department is now investigating that reported assault separately from the crash itself.
The Sandwich Police Department requested that Massachusetts State Police handle the crash investigation, per the CBS News report. Cotter has been placed on administrative leave, and the department says it will conduct a thorough internal investigation of its own alongside the criminal case.
Officer's Role and the Department He Serves
The Town of Sandwich's proposed FY2027 General Government Operating Budget lists a Police Officer 9 position with total annual compensation of $111,565. Cotter serves under Police Chief Jason Keane, who oversees the department, per footage from Inside Sandwich. The department received formal re-accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission in June, a voluntary review of its operational policies and accountability standards, according to the Town of Sandwich.
A page on the Giglio-Brady List lists Matthew S. Cotter and the Sandwich Police Department. The available information does not establish whether any further disciplinary action will follow this case.
What Cotter Could Face in Court
Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Section 24, a standard first-offense OUI conviction carries fines ranging from $500 to $5,000 and up to 2.5 years in a house of correction, according to the General Court of Massachusetts. The statute sets out those criminal penalties.
The available information does not establish whether Cotter could qualify for an alternative disposition under M.G.L. c. 90 Section 24D or what requirements would apply.
The available information does not establish whether Massachusetts POST Commission rules would require or result in any certification action in Cotter's case, or what effect such action would have on his police duties. The OUI and negligent-operation charges are misdemeanor-level, while the marked-lanes and unregistered-motor-vehicle charges are not. Whether POST will take any independent certification action remains an open question.
Cotter is expected to be arraigned Monday at Barnstable District Court. The available information does not detail other Route 6 incidents involving the department.
