In a developing legal saga, Lisa Read’s defense team has asserted that she was wrongfully accused in the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who was killed outside a Canton home in January 2022. During Read’s trial in Norfolk Superior Court, her attorneys contended that O’Keefe was framed and suggested that he was fatally beaten—potentially mauled by a German Shepherd—prior to the placement of his body on the front lawn of a property owned by a fellow officer.
Read’s legal representatives recently filed a 16-page response in Plymouth Superior Court, rejecting claims made by O’Keefe’s family in their wrongful death suit. The family’s allegations closely resonate with assertions made by prosecutors during Read’s criminal proceedings, which maintain that she fatally struck O’Keefe with her SUV after a night of drinking. Her attorneys argued that any damages suffered by O’Keefe’s family were the result of the actions of others for whom Read should not be held accountable.
In the backdrop of this ongoing legal battle, Read’s first trial resulted in a hung jury, but she achieved acquittal in her retrial in June on the serious charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in death. Instead, she was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of operating under the influence (OUI) and was sentenced to a year of probation.
The wrongful death suit alleges that Read “outrageously created a false narrative” in the aftermath of O’Keefe’s passing, claiming that his death was a direct result of her drunk driving. The legal proceedings surrounding this case are ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for November 21. A date for the civil trial has yet to be determined.
As this case unfolds, it underscores the complexities and emotional weight surrounding incidents involving law enforcement officers and the serious implications of drunk driving.