BOSTON — Former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor has officially ended his bid for reinstatement by withdrawing his appeal to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission.
Proctor’s appeal, which began in August 2025 following his termination in March, was set to resume before the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission on Tuesday. Instead, on October 18, he filed a notice stating: “This notice confirms the withdrawal of my appeal in the above-referenced matter. I exercise my right to sign this form of my own free will.”
In June, a Norfolk County jury acquitted Karen Read of second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, but convicted her of operating under the influence. Prosecutors alleged Read struck O’Keefe with her SUV outside a Canton home during a snowstorm in January 2022, while her legal team argued she was the target of a law enforcement cover-up—claims that placed Proctor, the lead investigator, under intense scrutiny.
Proctor’s termination stemmed from a three-member state police trial board’s finding in March that Proctor violated four agency policies, including sending derogatory text messages about defendant Karen Read, sharing sensitive case information with individuals outside law enforcement, projecting bias, and consuming alcohol while on duty.
Proctor’s attorney, Daniel Moynihan, said the withdrawal followed “disclosures made available to our office on Friday, October 17, 2025.”
With the appeal withdrawn, the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission is expected to issue an order of dismissal, formally ending Proctor’s attempt to regain his trooper position.
