WORCESTER – Former Brockton Chief of Police Emmanuel Gomes was in Worcester District Court on Tuesday in a negligent driving case transferred from Wrentham District Court. Gomes was the Brockton Chief of Police for 36-years prior to retiring in January 2022.
The criminal charge comes from a thee-vehicle wreck caused by Gomes in May 2021. While in route to a reported double drowning, Gomes struck a vehicle on Route 24 that was stopped in the breakdown lane and side-swiping another vehicle, which flipped on its side.
Gomes was not cited at the scene by police and months passed before charges were filed. Gomes was arraigned in September 2022, more than 15 months after the crash.
NBC10 Boston investigated the crash, including creating an reenactment in 2022.
After judges twice denied motions to dismiss the charges against Gomes, he admitted to sufficient facts related to the charge on Tuesday. Gomes entered what is known as an Alford Plea. The Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute gives the following definition of an Alford Plea.
“An Alford plea, also known as a “best-interests plea,” registers a formal admission of guilt towards charges in criminal court while the defendant simultaneously expresses their innocence toward those same charges. Like the similar nolo contendere plea, an Alford plea skips the full process of a criminal trial because the defendant agrees to accept all the ramifications of a guilty verdict (i.e. punishment).”
The judge ordered the case continued without a finding for six months. Gomes will serve probation during that time. Should he avoid additional legal trouble for six months, the charges will be dismissed.
Betty Francois, who was injured in the crash, provided a victim impact speech at court on Tuesday. After the hearing, she said she was hurt that Gomes never acknowledged her after her statement.
Activists from the Brockton-based DARRC Coalition, an interfaith group advocating for police accountability, and Worcester Interfaith, attended the hearing
The executive director of Worcester Interfaith, Roberto Diaz, said the Gomes case highlights the broader challenges of holding law enforcement officers accountable and raises questions about law enforcement being held to the same standard as citizens.
“Police officers are entrusted with immense power and authority, tasked with upholding the law and safeguarding our communities,” Diaz said. “With this authority comes an inherent responsibility to act with integrity, honesty, and accountability at all
times.
