State Suspends Local SWAT Team Member, Hudson Officer

HUDSON, MA — A police officer in Hudson police who has been a member of a regional SWAT team was one of three Massachusetts police officers suspended Wednesday by a new state police standards commission.

The suspension means Hudson officer Kevin Johnson won't be able to work as a police officer while the suspension is in place. Johnson was appointed in 2018 to the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (CEMLEC) SWAT team, a special unit that responds to incidents across about 60 communities in the area.

Neither Hudson police Chief Richard DiPersio nor Hudson Executive Assistant Thomas Gregory immediately responded to a request for comment about why Johnson was suspended. It's also not clear if he is still a Hudson police employee, or if he's still a member of the CEMLEC SWAT team

The state Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission said it is required by statute to suspend officers who are arrested, charged or indicted for felony crimes. The other two officers suspended Wednesday include Sean Malone of Mendon police and Perry Collins, a former Rowley officer who was indicted on a rape charge in February.

"The suspension order is in effect until a final decision or revocation is made by the commission," the POST Commission said in a news release.

The POST Commission has suspended 22 officers across Massachusetts since late 2022. The commission also on Wednesday released a list of nearly 300 officers who were not re-certified to serve as police.