The town of Canton, Massachusetts, has shared text messages sent by a former police sergeant who testified in the high-profile Karen Read murder trial and resigned this month amid an internal affairs investigation into allegations of misconduct.

Investigation Findings

The investigation into alleged messages from former Sgt. Sean Goode found “several serious rules and policy violations,” according to the final report, which the town shared upon receiving it Monday. Language in the messages is “horrific,” the town said.

The report, compiled by a former chief of police for Fairhaven, notes that Goode sent texts “showing bias against several races and ethnicities;” that were antisemitic, homophobic, ableist, sexist and misogynistic; and which revealed sensitive police information, like where police would be conducting a sobriety checkpoint.

Response from the Town

“The people of Canton deserve better,” the town said, noting that Canton police are working to rebuild trust with the community, which should be able to expect that its first responders “will treat them fairly and with respect and dignity — full stop.”

Goode has already been suspended by the Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, Commission, which certified law enforcement officers in Massachusetts. Derogatory text messages that Goode allegedly sent were included in a civil lawsuit filed by Read against Canton police and Massachusetts State Police.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.