Former Officer Charged Amid Investigation into Two Indecent Assaults

BOSTON, April 13, 2018—A former Transit Police officer was arraigned today following his arrest on a warrant charging indecent assault and battery and other offenses allegedly committed while on duty, MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Transit Police detectives arrested JAMES FLOYD, 60, of Winthrop on a warrant charging him with two counts of indecent assault and battery and single counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and intimidation of a witness, all stemming from his conduct as a uniformed officer working a detail at North Station.

Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum, chief of the DA’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, recommended $10,000 cash bail and orders that Floyd have no contact with any victim or civilian witness and stay away from specific locations to which they might be assigned through their employment.

Judge Thomas Horgan released Floyd on his own recognizance but granted prosecutors’ suggested conditions of release.

“There is no excuse for sexual assault and absolutely no room in law enforcement for the behavior alleged in these complaints,” Conley said. “I want to thank Transit Police for taking this investigation so seriously from its earliest stages, and I want to remind every victim and survivor that our office will always be a safe, respectful, and confidential resource for anyone who wants to disclose sexual assault.”

“Transit Police officers are held to the highest standards of professional conduct and the overwhelming majority of TPD officers are dedicated hard working public servants,” Chief Green said. “We in law enforcement derive our legitimacy not through laws or statues but rather by the very people we are sworn to serve. This arrest demonstrates the value we place on legitimacy bestowed upon us by the public.”

Polumbaum told the court that Floyd indecently assaulted two women within a 17-minute time span on the afternoon of March 29. After the first assault, he allegedly offered the victim a knife and challenged her to stab him, then opened a collapsible metal baton and stared at her in a threatening manner before walking away. Both women disclosed the assaults, which were soon reported to Transit Police. Command staff terminated the detail he was working and relieved him of duty; he later resigned from the Transit Police.

The victims and numerous witnesses made themselves available to Transit Police detectives in the days that followed. Based on their disclosures and additional evidence gathered by investigators, Transit Police obtained a warrant for his arrest and took him into custody this morning.

Sexual assault can happen to anyone. While the victims of any crime are asked to call 911 in an emergency, survivors of sexual violence can also call their local rape crisis center for free and confidential services and to discuss their options. Support is available for all survivors of sexual violence, regardless of whether they wish to take part in a criminal prosecution. Services by city and town can be found through Jane Doe Inc. at www.janedoe.org/find_help/search. Jane Doe Inc. is a coalition of 60 local member programs working together to find lasting solutions that promote the safety, liberty, and dignity for victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

In Suffolk County, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center offers a free and confidential 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides medical accompaniment and many other free services to victims of rape and sexual assault. Suffolk victim-witness advocates can assist in referrals to BARCC and a wide array of non-profit service providers who can offer additional support and services.

Floyd was represented by attorney Claudia Lagos and will return to court on June 21.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.