Karen Read Files Lawsuit Against Massachusetts State Police and Canton

Karen Read has initiated a lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton. The lawsuit claims misconduct and negligence in the investigation leading to her prosecution for the death of her boyfriend, a Boston police officer.

Filed in Bristol County Superior Court, the lawsuit suggests that Read’s acquittal last June exposed a culture of bias and failure within both the police department and town administration. It accuses them of poor practices in hiring, training, and supervising officers.

The Canton Police Department and town officials have yet to comment on the lawsuit.

Read gained her freedom following her acquittal after more than three years and two trials concerning the death of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe. He died after being found on a snow-covered lawn of a fellow officer’s home.

Read was initially charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene. The jury convicted her of a lesser charge, namely drunken driving. Prosecutors claimed that Read fatally struck O’Keefe with her SUV and abandoned him during a blizzard in January 2022.

Her defense portrayed the case as a result of police misconduct, suggesting that fellow officers killed O’Keefe and covered it up. Central to the trial was investigator Michael Proctor, whom the defense depicted as biased. Proctor was found guilty of sending inappropriate and defamatory messages about Read and faced dismissal. Supporters of Read argue he contributed to framing her.

The lawsuit highlights communications from Proctor and former Canton police Sgt. Sean Goode, displaying racist and sexist language. It asserts that such behavior indicated unfitness for the investigation, reflecting broader oversight failures within law enforcement.

Goode was placed on leave in November 2025 for misconduct allegations and resigned recently.