Widow of Slain Massachusetts Officer Calls Police Reform Bill a ‘Personal Attack’

An officer’s widow in Weymouth, Massachusetts, responded Sunday to the state’s proposals for police reform.

Cindy Chesna wrote in a Facebook post that when her husband, Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chesna, was murdered two years ago, she received support from politicians, first responders, and citizens.

However, there was “no public outcry from politicians for the reform of a broken justice system that lets repeat offenders out on the street,” Chesna said.

“Two years later I am witnessing the complete opposite from a lot of the people who looked me straight in the eyes at mikes wake and promised to always be there for me, offering anything they could do,” she wrote.

Chesna continued:

Now those same politicians are showing the utmost disrespect to our officers with this reform bill and even a certain town (with the agreement of both the fire Chief and police Chief) are disrespecting our officers by demanding that the thin blue line flag be removed from their fire trucks.

I take each of these actions as a personal attack on everything Mike stood for as a police officer and a decorated army veteran with 2 two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“My children are growing up in a world where police are vilified. Their father was not a villain, he was a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice. His memory should never be tarnished by anyone,” Chesna added.

Michael Chesna was attacked with a rock, then killed with his own gun when he responded to a call about an erratic driver in 2018, according to CBS Boston.

“An elderly woman who lived nearby was also killed during the incident. Emanuel Lopes is charged in Chesna’s death. He has pleaded not guilty in the case,” the article read.

Even though Republicans and a number of Democrats opposed the police reform bill, the Democrats who controlled the House were able to pass it on a 93-66 vote late Friday night, according to WBUR.

The report noted:

The House bill creates an independent Massachusetts Police Standards and Training Commission that would be responsible for licensing all law enforcement in the state every three years. Members of the commission would have the authority to decertify an officer for misconduct, including bias, conviction of a felony, submission of false timesheets, and use of excessive force.

Chesna said it had become “absolutely permitted and almost encouraged to despise police officers because of the job they choose to do,” adding that everyone, no matter their profession, should be held accountable for their actions.

“I also feel that those who give false promises of unwavering support should be held accountable in November,” she concluded.