Norfolk County DA, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police, Canton PD, Town of Canton, release statements after release of shocking texts messages in Karen Read lawsuit

Several agencies released statements Friday after the bombshell text chains released pertaining to the Karen Read vs Massachusetts State Police/Town of Canton lawsuit.

On Thursday, Read filed the suit claiming, “their negligent hiring, training, and supervision of biased and corrupt police officers, whose actions violated her constitutional rights and caused her immense harm.”

Among the text messages revealed in the complaint between former MSP Trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton Police Sergeant Sean Goode are:

The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office released the following statement in response to the text messages:

“The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office reviewed the Karen Read civil lawsuit filed yesterday in Bristol Superior Court against the Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police Department which contained materials from former Trooper Michael Proctor’s personal cell phone.

“The egregious and offensive information discovered on former Trooper Proctor’s personal cell phone is inexcusable.  Former Trooper Proctor’s outrageous comments do not reflect the values or beliefs of the hard-working men and women in the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.

“In the fall of 2025, the NDAO began providing the discoverable material on former Trooper Proctor’s personal cell phone to defense counsel in cases in which Proctor was an investigator and to potentially affected entities. 

“The NDAO continues to review cases in which former Trooper Proctor was involved to ensure a fair and ethical prosecution of all defendants.”

A joint statement from the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and Canton Police is as follows:

“The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and the Canton Police Department strongly condemn the offensive, unprofessional, and unacceptable text messages attributed to former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton Police Officer Sean Goode.

“These communications fall far short of the professionalism, integrity, and impartiality expected of every law enforcement officer. This conduct damages public confidence, undermines credibility, and erodes trust that officers work every day to build within their communities.

“We agree with the sentiment expressed by leadership within the Massachusetts State Police that these messages are offensive, inappropriate, and do not reflect the values of modern policing. The overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers across Massachusetts serve honorably and professionally, and they too feel the impact when conduct inconsistent with those values becomes public.

“Both organizations remain committed to accountability, professionalism, transparency, and maintaining the public trust that is essential to effective policing.”

The following is a statement from the Town of Canton: 

“The internal affairs investigation involving Sgt. Sean Goode was initiated after the Town became aware of inappropriate text messages through the District Attorney’s Office on Oct. 24, 2025. Upon learning of the messages, the Town placed Sgt. Goode on administrative leave, opened an internal affairs investigation, and retained an outside investigator. However, the Town did not and still does not possess the messages themselves. The Town’s outside investigator was granted access to the messages in December 2025, subject to a court-issued protective order that strictly restricted dissemination of the messages. 

“The outside investigator was required to review more than 200,000 voice notes and text messages dating back to 2013. As part of the internal affairs process, Sgt. Goode’s union counsel was also permitted to review the messages in full. The scope of that review, combined with the limitations imposed by the protective order, made the process time-intensive.

“Sgt. Goode was subsequently scheduled for an internal affairs interview but refused to appear. The Town then initiated termination proceedings and placed the appointment of a hearing officer on the June 2, 2026, Select Board meeting agenda. However, Sgt. Goode tendered his resignation on May 29, 2026, effective June 2, before those proceedings could be completed. 

“Under Massachusetts Civil Service law, the Town was required to conduct a full adjudicatory hearing before terminating Sgt. Goode. His resignation occurred before that hearing could take place. 

“The internal affairs report will be released when finalized and will be a public record, subject to legally required redactions. The report will also be provided to the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission. 

“Claims that the Town knowingly ignored misconduct or failed to take these allegations seriously are inconsistent with the actions taken. Upon learning of the allegations, the Town promptly removed Sgt. Goode from the workplace, retained an independent investigator, and pursued appropriate personnel action based on the information available throughout the investigative process. 

“The messages are abhorrent, deeply offensive, hateful, and do not reflect the values of the Canton Police Department or its members. The men and women of the Canton Police Department are entrusted with serving every member of the community fairly, professionally, and with respect. Preserving that trust requires accountability, transparency, and adherence to the highest standards of public service. 

“The Town of Canton wants the community to know that allegations involving conduct that calls into question the professionalism, integrity, or impartiality of a police officer are taken seriously and addressed in accordance with applicable law and POST requirements.”