Karen Read has initiated legal action against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton, accusing them of misconduct, negligence, and oversight failures during the investigation that culminated in her prosecution for the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe.
The lawsuit, lodged on Thursday in Bristol County Superior Court, contends that Read's acquittal in June of the previous year unveiled "an embedded culture of bigotry, misogyny, systemic failures, and institutional rot at the very core of both organizations." It further alleges that the town and its police department were negligent in the hiring, training, and supervision of their officers.
Representatives from the town of Canton and the Canton Police Department did not respond to email inquiries for comment.
Approximately one year ago, Read exited the courtroom a free woman after enduring more than three years and two trials concerning the death of O'Keefe, who was discovered on the snowy lawn of a fellow officer's residence following a night of heavy drinking during a blizzard.
Read faced charges including second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of an accident. The jury ultimately convicted her on a lesser charge of drunken driving.
Prosecutors had argued that Read struck O'Keefe with her SUV on the night of the party in January 2022, leaving him to perish in the snowstorm. In contrast, her defense team successfully portrayed a narrative of police misconduct, suggesting that O'Keefe was actually killed by colleagues who subsequently orchestrated a cover-up.
The trial prominently featured lead investigator Michael Proctor, whom defense attorneys characterized as biased against Read from the outset. The Massachusetts State Police trial board found Proctor guilty of sending crude and defamatory text messages about Read while heading the investigation. He was subsequently dismissed and became a target of ire among Read's supporters, who believe he played a central role in an alleged conspiracy to frame her.
The complaint filed on Thursday dedicates numerous pages to Proctor and former Canton police Sergeant Sean Goode, citing texts, recordings, and other communications that purportedly reveal racist, sexist, and other derogatory remarks. Read argues that these materials demonstrate both men were unfit to participate in the investigation and that their conduct reflects broader supervisory failures within state and local law enforcement agencies.
Goode was placed on administrative leave in November 2025 after the town was alerted to allegations of misconduct. He resigned earlier this week, according to media reports.
