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A former Weymouth Police officer was sentenced today for assaulting a man in custody by punching the victim multiple times without legal justification.
Massachusetts officer who punched a handcuffed man 13 times in the face gets 2 years supervised release, with the first 6 months under house arrest pic.twitter.com/iRmtgVvFCE
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Justin Chappell, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to two years’ supervised release, with the first six months to be served in home confinement. Chappell was also ordered to complete 40 hours of community service per year of supervised release, for a total of 80 hours. In April 2024, Chappell pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
On July 2, 2022, Chappell was a police officer for the Weymouth Police Department. While on duty, he responded to a call regarding an allegedly intoxicated man causing a disturbance at a home in Weymouth. Chappell placed the man under arrest, and while attempting to put the man in the police cruiser, Chappell punched the man approximately 13 times with a closed fist without legal justification. The punches caused obvious pain and visible injuries to the man’s head.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Weymouth Police Department and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings and Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
