ACTON — Town Manager John Mangiaratti and Police Chief Richard Burrows are today releasing the reports of the outside investigator into allegations of serious misconduct by two former Acton Police Officers.
Additionally, Chief Burrows is today announcing that he has formally asked the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission to decertify both Tyler Russell and Michael Eracleo without delay.
Click here to access the reports on the Town of Acton website.
Russell and Eracleo have both resigned from the Acton Police Department.
Investigations were initiated after a person, who identified themself as a former Acton-Boxborough Regional High School student, reported to an Acton Police Department official that they had been the victim of past inappropriate conduct by Russell and Eracleo, in separate incidents while the officers had been working as school resource officers. However, in both cases, the accusations that resulted in action against the former officers were not related to any matters occurring at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School or involving any students. Additionally, Eracleo was investigated for claims related to financial exploitation of an Acton resident.
Eracleo resigned on Aug. 29, hours after a disciplinary hearing. The outside investigator found Eracleo violated several policies, procedures, rules and regulations of the department.
Russell faced a disciplinary hearing in August, and subsequently tendered his resignation in the face of the accusations against him.
The outside investigator hired for this investigation was Regina M. Ryan founder of Discrimination and Harassment Solutions LLC. According to her company, Ryan practiced law at Louison, Costello, Condon & Pfaff for 26 years specializing in employment litigation. In addition to her litigation experience, Ms. Ryan completed multiple MCAD certified training courses for conducting investigations and trainings related to discrimination and/or harassment in the workplace. She also holds the ATIXA Civil Rights Investigator Level Two Certification for Title IX investigations.