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Posted by: USMCMP5811

Cop shot 26 years ago comes out of hiding to confront selectmen
Tuesday August 02, 2005
FALMOUTH, Mass. (AP) A former police officer who's been in hiding since he was shot in the face during an ambush 26 years ago returned to town to confront selectmen about keeping concealed a police report that details his attack.

John Busby was shot in the jaw on his way to work the night shift in 1979. He left town shortly afterward and has been in hiding since.

A copy of the police report, obtained recently by The Cape Cod Times, says that John Reine told police in 2003 that he drove the car while his brother, Melvin Reine Sr., shot Busby. Melvin's wife, Shirley Reine, was in the passenger seat, according to the report detailing John Reine's statement to police.

Shirley Reine was killed in May. Police Chief David Cusolito, on orders from Barnstable District Attorney Michael O'Keefe, has refused to release the report because of the ongoing investigation.

However, the newspaper was able to obtain a copy it.

Busby, who showed up at the selectmen's meeting unannounced with several friends on Monday, has difficult speaking because of his injuries, so former Falmouth police officer James Fagan spoke for him. Fagan urged the board to release the report, noting that crime victims are entitled to police reports 48 hours after an incident. He said Busby has been waiting 26 years.

``What if the Shirley Reine murder is never solved?'' Fagan said. ``How long does (Busby) have to wait?''

Chairman Kevin Murphy said that since the board doesn't directly supervise the police chief, it would have to sue him to get the report released and the board didn't want to take that action. Murphy said he believed the police chief's contention that the report would hurt the current investigation if released.

The statute of limitations on the attack expired in 1989. Melvin Reine, who is institutionalized with dementia, has been convicted of arson and former Barnstable prosecutor W. James O'Neill has said he was a suspect in at least one murder and the disappearance of his first wife. O'Neill said that at the time of the Busby attack, Reine was angry with Busby over a run-in with one of his sons.

On Monday, Selectman Carey Murphy apologized to Busby on behalf of the town.

``You've suffered for 26 years and as far as I'm concerned you suffered for 26 years too long,'' he said.

After the meeting, Busby's friends said they weren't satisfied with the selectmen's' response, and noted Busby asked for the report before Shirley Reine was murdered.

``If the statute of limitations had run out, why didn't they release it then?'' said Rufino Gonsalves, a retired Falmouth police officer.

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Posted by: mpd61

WTF!?!?

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Posted by: Foxracingmtnridr

That is insane!


Scott

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Posted by: frapmpd24

This is something that every police officer and union should support and show in force whenever this officer goes infront of any board or court hearing. If anyone on the job sustained a major or career ending injury we would certainly want the access to information related to the investigation.

It is a simple request (the report) for the victim of a crime which occurred 26 years ago to which the statute of limitations has expired. He is not just joe shmoe off the street, he is a law enforcement officer and was at the time of the incident, which on a basic level would allow him access to the report under CORI. I could only guess that there is some past wrongdoing that the DA or Department does not want to get out. Instead it is "Thanks for your service, sorry for your pain and suffering and career lost, tough shit you cannot have the report"...

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