Former Detective's Son Convicted Of Involuntary Manslaughter

DEDHAM, MA — A Weymouth man and son of a former detective was sentenced to 3-4 years in state prison for a fight that led to the death of a 44-year-old father of three.

On Tuesday, after a weeklong trial and a day of deliberations, Matthew Potter, of Quincy, was convicted on two counts of involuntary manslaughter, but acquitted on three assault charges at Norfolk Superior Court

Prosecutors said that in January 2019, Christopher McCallum tried to break up a fight in the parking lot of the Nickerson American Legion Post. McCallum’s family members said in court that Potter punched him so hard that he fell backward and hit his head on the parking lot cement. McCallum was taken off life support the following day, and a medical examiner ruled that he died by homicide due to blunt force trauma.

Potter and his brother were arrested in November 2019 after an investigation from the Norfolk County district attorney’s office, WCVB reported.

Potter remained stone-faced and declined to give a statement as McCallum’s friends and family members described the trauma brought on by his death.

"I had to hold my son as he watched his father take his last breath," wife Kathy McCallum said. "My happy-ever-after was stolen from me."

"I was rushed to the hospital to see him and just a day later, I helplessly watched him die in the worst way possible," son Ryan McCallum said. "Can you imagine losing your father in such a devastating way?"

Potter’s lawyers said he was caught up in a “chaos tornado” that fateful night.

"Our family and friends will forever be thankful for the tireless work of the State Police and Special Prosecutor, Dan Bennett that led to the conviction and sentencing of Matthew Potter for the senseless homicide of Chris McCallum," the family said in a statement after the verdict, as reported by the Patriot Ledger. "The jury’s guilty finding provides a small sense of justice and accountability, but nothing can offset the extreme sadness we all share without Chris’ presence in our lives."