Former Weymouth Officer to Plead Guilty to Civil Rights Charge

Justin Chappell, accused of assaulting a handcuffed man, agrees to a plea deal for probation over imprisonment.

Former Weymouth police officer Justin Chappell, 43, is scheduled to plead guilty to a criminal civil rights charge for punching a handcuffed man 13 times in 2022.
Chappell's plea agreement proposes three years probation instead of imprisonment, with the maximum sentence for the charge being 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Chappell, a US Army veteran with documented PTSD from service in Afghanistan, cited his condition as a factor in the incident.
The prosecution and defense agreed that Chappell's PTSD played a role in his use of excessive force, warranting a reduced sentence.
Weymouth Police Chief moved to fire Chappell after the incident, and the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission has since decertified him.