Thursday, 4:30 PM
Methuen probing police who watched Patriots game
By Christine McConville, Globe Staff
Methuen's police chief has suspended a sergeant after a group of on-duty police officers gathered in the station last week to watch a New England Patriots football game, leaving the city underprotected, officials said.
"He's trying to find out why they were in the station, together," Methuen Mayor William T. Manzi said about the chief's just-launched investigation.
"Why were they all in there at the same time? If it was a dinner break, wouldn't it be more prudent to space that out?" he added.
This latest probe caps a year of upheavals within the department, which has been scrutinized by city officials and federal agents for mishandling federal grant money.
Police Chief Joseph Solomon could not be reached for comment, but Manzi and other city officials said that last Friday night, the chief entered the station and saw five patrol officers watching the televised game.
A sergeant and lieutenant were in the station, too, Manzi said, but it's not clear if they were watching the game.
Because seven on-duty officers were in the station, the rest of the 23-square-mile city was being patrolled by just two other officers, officials said.
