On Friday, June 6, This Week in Worcester published a piece titled, “Union Leader Threatened Police Chief if Councilor Not Charged.” The piece reports information provided by a department deputy chief that they witnessed a confrontation, initiated by NEPBA Local 911 union leader Thomas Duffy, with Chief of Police Paul Saucier.
According to the source, during that confrontation, Duffy threatened that membership in the union he leads would withdraw its support for Saucier as chief of police if Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj didn’t face charges in connection with the immigration arrest on Eureka Street on May 8.
Chief of Police Paul Saucier called me on Saturday morning. While he was understandably upset, he remained professional and direct throughout the conversation, which I appreciate. I consider this a private conversation and will not reveal substantial details.
While Chief Saucier did not ask, I informed him that the piece would not be retracted and sources would, under no circumstances, including under subpoena, be revealed. The chief informed me that the department intended to release a statement in response.
I thank Chief Saucier for returning the courtesy of providing this advance notice, just as I did with a summary of the piece prior to publication. He didn’t have to do that, and I appreciate him for doing so.
See the statement below.
This Week in Worcester first published in 2017. There are over 7,000 pieces on this site. Just 37 of those appear in our columns section, which includes perspective based analysis and opinion. Like any news publications, we have issued corrections. We have never issued a retraction.
The deputy chief who provided their account of the confrontation informed us they faced pressure to sign onto the statement. We took no objection to the person signing onto the statement. Not doing so simply isn’t worth it.
The Friend Treatment
Being labeled a “rat” within a police department is practically a death sentence. Upward mobility ends. Physical altercations are possible. Harassment is guaranteed.
We received a view of how this works inside the Worcester Police Department, when a custodian, Daniel Friend, filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination in 2023, as reported by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Friend became friendly with individuals inside the police department over his years working there. He played golf with some.
When Friend’s daughter gave birth to his grandchild, he sent a picture to a group text. One officer allegedly responded with a comment about the appearance of the newborn’s race. Friend is white while the father of his grandchild is Black.
According to Friend, he responded angrily. The comments continued and intensified. When Friend talked to a supervisor, without filing a formal complaint, he says he experienced a campaign of retaliation, which included his being ostracized, his overtime cut, and a series of what he says are false accusations ranging from poor performance to drinking on the job.
This is a custodian, all for taking exception to a comment about the race of his grandchild. What sentence would the discipline by mob implement for the crime of speaking to the media?
The Inquisition Has Begun
This Week in Worcester has received information that the department is interviewing personnel and reviewing call and text history to seek who provided information for our story. This has led to additional confirmations of our previous reporting.
Those participating in this inquisition, let me help you out: We use burners, stupid.
Sure seems like a lot of concern for something they claim never happened.
Why Didn’t They Name Us?
The Worcester Police Department, where you can’t be fired for:
- Beating up a pastor in his church in front of his kids;
- Attacking a young man from behind for asking a question, then charging him with crimes he never committed;
- Providing false testimony in a criminal trial to wrongfully incarcerate a man for 16 years;
- Arresting and fire pepper balls at journalists, and stomp on phones at the scene to destroy evidence;
- Enable the brother of a Worcester Police officer detained for questioning in a shooting on Water Street to escape detention while off duty.
What you absolutely can not do, however, is talk to the media. That, in the twisted culture of the Worcester Police Department, is serious stuff.
The reason they didn’t call this publication or the authors of the piece (myself and John Keough) out by name in their statement on Saturday is very obvious. That could be grounds for a lawsuit for defamation.
They don’t fear the lawsuit. This city seems to love taking your money to pay out lawyers and lawsuit settlements. What they fear is the discovery phase, where depositions require testimony under oath. That’s where the truth would come out. Just like when officer Jesus Candelaria testified under oath that in 2016, Thomas Duffy enabled a man, the brother of someone in his unit, detained for questioning in a shooting, to escape custody. See this short video by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Instead of facing charges, Duffy has been on a media campaign to demand charges against a city councilor because she allegedly touched a police officer.
But we lie. Right.
This is Worcester.
We will not be intimidated. We will continue to tell the truth.
