Brookline places four officers on leave over bachelor party incident

The chaperone, Robert Sonia, 40, of Lynn, suffered a broken eye socket, broken nose and a laceration on his left brow during the alleged attack, and his Boston attorney John Saliba. He said he is now seeking the identities of the four police officers so Sonia can press charges against them.

But Brookline Police have not released the names of the officers, and Police Lt. Phil Harrington  said because of an ongoing investigation, he could not discuss what occurred. Harrington said only that the four off-duty officers were placed on paid leave after an incident at Beacon Street and Corey Road at 4:45 a.m. Sunday .

Brookline Police Chief Daniel O’Leary said in a statement Tuesday that he was “concerned to learn of allegations” involving several off-duty Brookline police officers early Sunday. But in an effort to maintain the integrity of the ongoing investigation, O’Leary said police are limited in the details they may disclose publicly.

“The Brookline Police Department is taking this matter very seriously and immediately launched an investigation into this incident,” O’Leary said. “Consistent with established police department practice, the department has placed four officers on administrative leave pending it’s outcome. Upon concluding a thorough and exhaustive investigation, the department will take the appropriate course of action.”

Bobby Murphy, the union president for Brookline Police, declined to comment on the incident and the officers being placed on leave.

John Galland, owner of Shamrock Entertainment in Lynn, said one of the four officers called his business early Sunday morning requesting an exotic dancer for a bachelor party at an apartment on Beacon Street.

Galland said the female dancer and Sonia went to the address where there were four men who claimed to be police officers. But while the men had requested the entertainment, they told Sonia and the dancer that the bachelor had disappeared and they decided to cancel the $225  performance, Galland said.

When Sonia and the dancer requested gas money for their time, the men became stern and told them to get out of the home.

At that point, Sonia and the dancer walked out to her car and began to back away when they saw one of the four men taking a photograph of the vehicle’s license plate, Galland said. Sonia then came out of the vehicle and asked what was going on.

Galland said at that point that the man taking the photos began beating Sonia, and the three other off-duty officers rushed across the street to assist. Galland alleged the off-duty officers then kicked his employee in the head and face for about 10 to 15 minutes before an on-duty police officer responded to the scene and placed Sonia in handcuffs. Galland said the dancer had remained in her car afraid for her own safety while asking the officers to stop beating Sonia.

Sonia was then taken by ambulance to the hospital where he was treated and released Sunday, Galland said.

In 20 years of running his exotic dancing business, Galland said he’s never had a problem on this scale before.

“Nothing ever like this,” Galland said. “Nothing like this by civilians, let alone police that we trust to protect us--that we put in positions of power.”

Saliba said the four off-duty officers who allegedly assaulted Sonia have been put on administrative leave, but Brookline Police have refused to provide the names of the officers, the police report or the 911 tape from the incident to him.

“It is very odd that my client would not be provided with the identity of those individuals that were involved in the incident,” Saliba said.