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Main Page No Decision Made Yet On Charging Ex-Chief
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: SPO123

Does it ever end?

Is there any good news in sight or are PO's falling one by one?

Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise March 8, 2006
GARDNER -- No decision was reached Tuesday in the show cause hearing for MountWachusettCommunity College's former chief of campus police, according to Whitney J. Brown, the court's clerk magistrate.

The hearing is now "under advisement," according to the clerk's office, meaning Brown is weighing the arguments presented to her Tuesday morning by Assistant District Attorney Anthony J. Marotta and John A. Mizhir, the attorney for the former campus police chief, Robert Mackie.

Little information about what happened during the hearing, which lasted from about 10:20 a.m. to about 11 a.m. Tuesday, is available because neither the public nor the press could enter, and the involved parties refused to comment about the proceedings.

Worcester County District Attorney John J. Conte told the Sentinel & Enterprise last month a state trooper from his office had conducted an investigation concerning Mackie.

But Conte declined to describe the investigation's nature.

A show cause hearing is held to determine if a criminal complaint should be issued.

If a criminal charge is filed, the hearing's contents are available to the public, but if no charge is filed, the contents remain inaccessible, according to the clerk's office.

Brown, who conducted the hearing Tuesday, declined to provide any details Tuesday afternoon about the day's proceedings, saying a decision is still pending.

But she said she expects to reach a decision sometime this week.

Mackie, who earned an annual salary of $56,618 at MWCC, left the college on Sept. 18, 2005, and now works as a campus police officer at AssumptionCollege in Worcester.

Upon identifying himself to Mackie Tuesday outside the courtroom, Mackie's attorney, Mizhir, told a Sentinel & Enterprise reporter, "You want to move back, please. Way back. Don't bother my client."

Mackie entered the courtroom with Mizhir and three unidentified men shortly thereafter. Brown, an assistant from her office, Marotta and an unidentified woman were also present.

The unidentified woman began to speak about 10 minutes later, while holding a document in her hand, and then answered questions from both attorneys before finishing about 10:40 a.m.

The three unidentified men who had accompanied Mackie then spoke and answered questions in quick succession for approximately the next 10 minutes.

Mackie, wearing a suit and standing with his hands loosely joined at his waist, then answered questions from both attorneys for the next several minutes before the hearing concluded.

When asked to explain why he was the subject of a show-cause hearing, Mackie said, "No thank you," while leaving the courthouse.

Both Mizhir and Marotta declined to comment about the hearing.

Posted by: 94c

you just posted an article that says absolutely nothing.

Posted by: s1w

ya, no kiddin

Posted by: SPO123

Oh, sorry, my bad, I thought it said he left a chief's job for a CPO job that pays much more...and if that's true, I guess I'll be the first to fire a resume down to AC because there may be an opening soon. Guess I shouldn't read between the lines...

Posted by: new guy

True, this is a vague article but I wont be as critical about the posting of this thread because I'm guessing that someone will be able to shed a little light and add something interesting to it.

Posted by: Wiggum_1

I hope its nothing serious or some type of BS thing. I knew Robert Mackie at The Digital Equipment site in Littleton and he is a great guy.

Posted by: SPO123

Former chief of campus police faces charges
Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise
By Aaron Wasserman and J.J. Huggins

GARDNER Mount Wachusett Community College's former chief of campus police is facing a charge of indecent assault and battery after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in the college's gymnasium, according to court records.

The Gardner District Court issued a summons for Robert Mackie, 40, of 30 Hyde Park St., Winchendon, on Monday.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on March 29.

Mackie allegedly sexually assaulted a female employee of the college on the evening of June 11, 2005, during their night shift, according to court documents.

After approaching the alleged victim a few times, “asking if she wanted to go somewhere that was air-conditioned to cool off,” Mackie allegedly assaulted the woman in the college gymnasium, according to court documents.

“She stated that they turned the light out and shut the door together,” a report filed by State Trooper Jessica Jennings reads in part. “She stated that when she went to walk away, Mackie grabbed her and pulled her close to him. She stated that she could feel his (genitals) against her crotch area and was pushing against her.”

The alleged victim freed herself and left before anything else occurred, but she told state police the encounter “was an unwanted act,” according to the report.

The alleged victim first reported the incident to the Athol State Police Barracks on June 27, 2005, and the report was then forwarded to the State Police Detective Unit in Worcester, according to court documents.

Neither Mackie nor his attorney, John A. Mizhir of Winchendon, could be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

The charge comes five months after MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino said he cleared Mackie of any wrongdoing after a sexual harassment allegation was made against the former campus police chief.

Asquino said the college found no grounds to punish Mackie.

“They were issues of sexual harassment, but we found no grounds whatsoever,” he said. “There was nothing overt or anything like that. Sexual harassment, all those issues, we take those very seriously.”

Asquino did not release any details of the investigation or the claims at the time.

“The allegations were of the less serious kind,” he added.

“One allegation was at an activity or an event, and the other was during the course of regular business contact,” Asquino said. “We didn't find any substance, any merit, any witnesses.”

“I'm not going to go into the details, I'm just going to say everything was properly investigated and properly disposed of,” he said. “We've investigated it, I'm not going to describe it. It's a nature of privacy and a matter of people's reputation.”

Asquino said Monday he needed to learn more details about the alleged incident before saying anything else.

“I'll have to find out what they charged him with and then we'll take it from there,” he said.

Asquino reiterated Monday that Mackie, who is still pictured on the college's Web site wearing a self-defense outfit as part of his work with the Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety, made his own decision last fall to leave the college and that he was not dismissed by the college.

“I wanted him to stay. He has done a great job professionalizing our police force,” Asquino said of Mackie in October.

Although Mackie stopped working at the college on Sept. 18, he was still on the college's payroll in October, with more than 200 remaining hours of vacation time, according to Caroline Henriques of the state Office of the Comptroller.

Once Mackie used all his remaining vacation days, he had worked for MWCC for 10 years and qualified for the college's retirement benefits, according to Asquino.

“I think it was in his plan all the time, that he wanted to stay 10 years,” Asquino said of Mackie in October.

Mackie, who earned $56,618 at MWCC, left the college on Sept. 18, 2005, and now works for Assumption College's campus police.

Mackie is still employed by Assumption College, according to the college's director of public affairs, Heidi Paluk, who declined to comment further Monday.

“We're still trying to sort out the facts,” she said.

Paluk said she didn't know Mackie had been charged until a Sentinel & Enterprise reporter told her.

The Barre Police Department, where Mackie has worked as a reserve police officer since 2002, placed Mackie on administrative leave on Jan. 26, upon receiving notification from the District Attorney's office that he was the subject of a criminal investigation, Chief John J. Manzi said Monday.

The department has not received any sexual harassment allegations or complaints concerning Mackie, Manzi said.

Gardner District Court issued the criminal complaint against Mackie after a show-cause hearing on March 7.

Neither the public nor the press could attend the show-cause hearing and written information about the proceedings is not yet available to the public.

The Sentinel & Enterprise filed a request Monday for a transcript of the taped testimony, which the clerk's office said would take at least two weeks to produce. Mackie, three unidentified men and one unidentified woman provided testimony during the show-cause hearing. Mackie's attorney, Assistant District Attorney Anthony J. Marotta, Clerk Magistrate Whitney J. Brown and a court clerk also attended the hearing.

I guess I stand by my original post there 94c and s1w....doesn't say absolutely nothing now does it? Not ot start a flamefest, but do ya think the gold in the badge effects the brain?

Posted by: ogzee28

I worked part-time at MWCC for Chief Mackie. I have a hard time believing this is true. The past "harassment" case was total BS and thrown out because there was no grounds to continue an investigation by the college.

Anyone that has had the privilege of working for and with Chief Mackie knows this will be unfounded. If anyone gets more information on this please post it ASAP.

Thanks
Ogzee28

Posted by: SPO123

[quote=ogzee28]I worked part-time at MWCC for Chief Mackie. I have a hard time believing this is true. The past "harassment" case was total BS and thrown out because there was no grounds to continue an investigation by the college.

Anyone that has had the privilege of working for and with Chief Mackie knows this will be unfounded. If anyone gets more information on this please post it ASAP.

I wouldn't be so sure...it sounds to me like the "victim" here was another officer...and judging by recent stories like the MSP Sgt...you never know...

Posted by: ogzee28

I should have put hopefully before unfounded, but I know as well as anyone nothing is impossible. Again, lets hope everything turns out OK.

[quote=SPO123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ogzee28

I worked part-time at MWCC for Chief Mackie. I have a hard time believing this is true. The past "harassment" case was total BS and thrown out because there was no grounds to continue an investigation by the college.

Anyone that has had the privilege of working for and with Chief Mackie knows this will be unfounded. If anyone gets more information on this please post it ASAP.

I wouldn't be so sure...it sounds to me like the "victim" here was another officer...and judging by recent stories like the MSP Sgt...you never know...

Posted by: fishtolt

I know this is a late entry, does anyone know what the final disposition was? I haven't heard from Bob Mackie since he left from Barre Pd. Whoever is interested in Bob Mackie, the others were right on the nose. Bob is a straight, fun and family oriented guy. He was absolutly set up from what I heard when this first came to sight and I believe that toll the end! Bob has always been professinal and has never made rude or unwanted gestures to any women in front of me. He is one of the best I have ever worked with! I hope all is well for Bob?

Posted by: SPO123

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishtolt

I know this is a late entry, does anyone know what the final disposition was? Trial is coming up
I haven't heard from Bob Mackie since he left from Barre Pd. Whoever is interested in Bob Mackie, the others were right on the nose. Bob is a straight, fun and family oriented guy. Not. My cousin dated a woman that used to go to school there .. he was tagging her on the side.
He was absolutly set up from what I heard when this first came to sight and I believe that toll the end! Alone in a dark gym with a woman .. uh huh
Bob has always been professinal and has never made rude or unwanted gestures to any women in front of me. "in front of me"; hell if I was going to commit a crime, I don't think I would be stupid enough to have a witness .. one with a badge either.
He is one of the best I have ever worked with! I hope all is well for Bob?

Let's face the facts...there have been a number of PO's that have fallen because they were thinking with the wrong head. This is no different. I spoke to a trooper a couple months ago...he fed them BS while they had a statement from another victim... a local PD's girlfriend that said "he did the same thing to me whem I was there. He's doomed, and worse yet, the college knew it years ago. They opted to cover it and now it's going to bite them ... the civil suits are coming. Stay tuned

Posted by: fishtolt

Like I said if you can read between the lines, why would your cousin be going out with a girl who screws around like that. Do you think she might have set this up? Sounds like her morals are way out of whack! How about thinking, Why would a police Chief grab a girl alone in a dark gym, do you think he's that stupid to risk his career. Like I said it's only my opinion, he is way to professinal to do something like that which is out of his character. So if you haven't worked with Bob Mackie how can you say he did this? What I know about the incident is about all you know, I hope he has a good defense lawyer to prove she set him up, then I hope you reconsider your impression of him.

Posted by: MM1799

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishtolt

How about thinking, Why would a police Chief grab a girl alone in a dark gym, do you think he's that stupid to risk his career. Like I said it's only my opinion, he is way to professinal to do something like that which is out of his character.

That isn't really a good argument. Not everyone who commits a crime is a bum (or was a bum before), poor and fits the image. Take a look at any white collar crime. Half of them are people who are well-off and temptation gets the best of them.

I will hold my judgement of the Chief until the trial is over, but just because you wouldn't jeoprodize everything for a little 'sumthin-sumthin'; doesn't mean he didn't.

Posted by: kencop93

Anyone who knows Bob, Knows its not true. Anyone who knows the accuser(notice i didnt say victim) Knows its not true. There is alot of things going on and things that happened that the public is not aware of. You can bet its all a money issue for the accuser. She tried to get money before the charges and again after.. People are always glad to see a Law Enforcement person go down. So when one is accused alot of people automatically assume they are guilty just because... And it doesnt help when people add in thier stories.." I heard this ... or My cousins sisters uncles brothers girlfriend best friend told me this" Those comments only help to hurt a persons reputation. The next time you go to say something remember this.. The next time it could be you, and do you want eveyone adding their comments or rumors about you.. Law Enfofcement needs to stick together.. No one else does cause they all want to se us fall. If he is found guilty, then you can say what you want. Until then give him the benefit of the doubt...Bob would give that courtesy to you... And thats a Fact! not an opinion!

Posted by: MM1799

Quote:

Originally Posted by MM1799

I will hold my judgement of the Chief until the trial is over.

Thanks.

Posted by: fishtolt

Well stated Kencop93, well stated.

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