The State Police finally got rid of one of their bad apples without handing him a multi-million-dollar pension package.
Yet.
You see, in the sordid world of the Mass. State Police, it’s never really over until the kiss in the mail is rubber-stamped through.
C’mon down, ex-Trooper Andrew Patterson, also known as the Foxboro Flasher.
This is the 32-year-old Lynn guy who went to a Luke Bryant concert in Foxboro in June 2019 and ended up getting charged with one count of lewd, wanton and lascivious conduct.
According to the Foxboro police report, Patterson arrived in a state of extreme intoxication and proceeded to, among other things, pleasure himself while sitting in someone else’s seat, after which he “started dancing” behind the grossed-out woman “and pretended to ‘grind’ on her.”
A male concertgoer told police “Patterson made a comment to him that he liked his beard, had a ‘nice ass’ and that he could sit on his lap.”
Patterson also grabbed some popcorn from the man with the nice rear end, after which he punched him in the face.
For his public service, the grateful citizens of the Commonwealth paid Patterson $149,746.47 in 2018.
Here are some of the witnesses’ descriptions of Trooper Patterson in the police report:
“PATTERSON was extremely intoxicated and his speech was thick and slurred…. Being inappropriate… could barely stand up… appeared to be in a daze…. Thoroughly intoxicated and continued drinking.”
All through this epic Kennedy-esque evening, Patterson’s male victim was posting on Facebook, telling his friends about the guy who was “hitting on” him. He then described Patterson as a “sick bastard (who) even pulled out his (eggplant emoji).”
When Patterson later reeled off, the victim posted: “He’s moved on to being a Joe Biden to the young girls in here. Honestly he’s lucky I haven’t smashed a chair on this frat boy.”
The MSP – To Protect and Serve. Or, in the case of Patterson, To Protect and Overserve.
In the aftermath of his night on the town, Patterson was put on leave – paid leave, naturally, until the Herald obtained a copy of the police report four months later. The lewd-and-lascivious charge against him was dismissed in district court last fall, but Patterson seems to have never returned to the job.
And Thursday he “resigned.” I asked the MSP whether he had been facing a dishonorable discharge.
In a statement, the State Police said they “can only confirm that he was discharged, not the type of discharge. He resigned as Internal Affairs case against him was in its disciplinary phase.”
The Staties said they had “no knowledge” of whether Patterson had yet applied for a pension, which would most likely be a disability pension (72%, tax-free) since he hadn’t vested yet.
“He resigned. He faced various disciplinary outcomes, up to and potentially including termination, if the disciplinary phase of his investigation had run its course, but he resigned prior to its completion.”
Patterson shot and killed a knife-wielding perp in the line of duty in 2015. He also has a Bronze Star from his combat tour in Iraq. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) would appear to be the ticket for early retirement at the age of 33.
I called Patterson Tuesday (his cell-phone number is on the Foxboro PD report) and he referred me to his lawyer, Dan Moynihan of Stoneham.
“I’m not going to get into medical records,” Moynihan said. “But if he has a medical issue, he will seek such a pension, as any public employee should.”
In other words, count on it.
Patterson was accompanied on the night in question by his wife Rachel and another state trooper, Stephen Thomson. Trooper Thomson’s contribution to the evening’s festivities came after his buddy punched the male civilian in the nose.
Thomson, according to the police report, “displayed a badge to him” and “made a comment about either himself or he and Thompson as being Troopers, and that he (the victim) is in big trouble now.”
Thomson appears to still be on the job — he’s already made $123,099 this year.
Has any trooper on the job in the last 30 years not ended up a millionaire? Except, of course, for Leigha Genduso.
