Sandwich Police Officer Faces Criminal Charges for Domestic Assault and Battery

By: Mary Stanley
Published: 02/22/13

Patrolman Michael F. Hoadley, 46, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into allegations that he attempted to run a family member’s vehicle off the road last Thursday night.

This is the third time since 2011 that the 27-year veteran of the Sandwich Police Department has faced disciplinary action. He is now being charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a car, domestic assault and battery, operating to endanger and leaving the scene of property damage. An initial charge of assault with intent to murder was dropped prior to his arraignment last Friday morning.

According to court reports, the family member had been out to dinner with a friend on Thursday night and was returning from that man’s home at 10:15 PM when the incident occurred. The victim was traveling on Route 130 when Officer Hoadley’s Dodge Durango approached from behind, following very closely. Concerned that the driver of the vehicle might be Officer Hoadley, the victim deviated from the typical route back home and turned onto the Mid-Cape Highway and began heading east.

According to the victim’s statement, Officer Hoadley, who was off duty at the time, allegedly rammed the vehicle twice from behind and then moved into the left lane, striking the victim’s car, causing the vehicle to spin around and hit a snow bank in the median strip of the highway.

The victim drove home and contacted the friend whom she was with earlier in the evening and reported the incident to him. The man then called the Sandwich Police Department. The victim went into the Sandwich police station and filed a report.

During the interview process, the victim told police that there were other instances of abuse, including a time when Officer Hoadley choked and threw her to the ground. The victim said there had been instances of verbal abuse and other times when Officer Hoadley had followed the family member while in his patrol car.

Police Chief Peter N. Wack said as soon as he was made aware of the incident, he immediately contacted the state police to handle the investigation into the criminal charges and simultaneously launched an administrative investigation to determine whether Officer Hoadley violated the police department’s policies and procedures.

“I take any allegations of police misconduct very seriously,” Chief Wack said. “I had to quickly evaluate the allegations and make a decision. I felt it was in the best interest of the police department and the town to contact the state police CPAC unit to handle the criminal investigation and to begin an administrative investigation.”

Hoadley Arrested Next Day

At 6:30 on Friday morning, state police stopped Officer Hoadley’s vehicle on Route 6A near Ploughed Neck Road and arrested him. During an interview at the state police barracks in Bourne, Officer Hoadley denied any knowledge of the incident.

According to court reports, he told the investigating officer that there had already been damage to both of the vehicles. He further stated that if there was new damage, the victim had set him up and hired someone to steal his Durango and crash it into the victim’s car and then return it to his residence, thereby making it appear he had crashed into it. He said he always leaves the keys to the car inside the vehicle overnight.

Officer Hoadley was arraigned in district court last Friday but not before a psychologist evaluated him for competence. The psychological evaluation was made at the request of the prosecution due to the victim’s assertion that he had tried to take his own life two days before entering a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center last fall.

“The psychological evaluation was to determine if he understood the crimes he was being charged with,” Terrence O’Connell, Officer Hoadley’s attorney, said.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

“Based on the evidence I’ve seen, I feel very strongly that we will prevail on the merits of this case,” Mr. O’Connell said.

Barnstable District Judge W. James O’Neill released Officer Hoadley but ordered him to wear a GPS tracker and to stay away from the alleged victim and the alleged victim’s children. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for March 11.

Chief Wack said it could take anywhere from one month to several months to complete the internal administrative investigation. “Once the administrative investigation is completed, I will present the town manager with a recommendation on the findings of that investigation,” he said.

Town Manager George H. Dunham said in cases such as this, a hearing will most likely be requested.

Hoadley's Spotty Record

Officer Hoadley was out on administrative leave nearly all of 2011, while police conducted investigations into two separate incidents.

The first investigation began in January 2011, when former Lieutenant Lynne I. Gouley learned that the patrolman had been involved in a car crash at the Mobil Gas Station on Route 130 in December 2010, and that the incident was never entered into the police logs and no report of the accident was filed.

According to the investigative report, Patrolman Hoadley, who was off duty at the time and driving his personal vehicle, quickly pulled into the gas station, making a sharp turn. Video surveillance tapes at the gas station showed that the officer had entered the parking lot from the designated exit area and, unable to navigate the sharp turn properly, struck a light pole, damaging it.

Although he went into the store and purchased a loaf of bread, he did not report the accident to the manager at that time. He returned the following day to repair the light pole.

That investigation into the incident was completed at the beginning of June 2011 and the report concluded that Officer Hoadley had violated state laws by leaving the scene of an accident after knowingly causing property damage; violated the department’s standard of conduct; violated the public trust and brought disrepute upon the entire department.

The report also concluded that the patrolman violated the department’s obedience laws when he left the scene of property damage without making his name, address, and registration number known; and violated the department’s truthfulness clause when he lied during his interview in the investigation and when he lied to another officer stating that his 21-year-old son had hit the pole.

Officer Hoadley received a three-month unpaid suspension as a result of the findings from that investigation.

A second investigation was launched at the end of May 2011, after allegations were made that he had been sending harassing text messages to another officer. Mr. Dunham could not comment on the results of that investigation or the disciplinary action that was taken.

Officer Hoadley returned to work in December 2011.