The immigration detention center at the Bristol County Sheriff s Office in Dartmouth, Mass. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
A new report issued Tuesday by Attorney General Maura Healey s office finds Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson violated the civil rights of federal immigration detainees during a violent altercation in May.
After a months-long investigation, the attorney general
determined Hodgson and his staff used excessive force in their response to a disturbance among some immigration detainees, employing a variety of weapons, including a flash bang grenade, pepper spray and pepper-balls, anti-riot shields and canines.
“Our investigation revealed that the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office violated the rights of detainees by using excessive force and by seriously risking their health and safety,” Healey said. “This callous disregard for the well-being of immigration detainees is unacceptable and must be addressed through the significant reforms we outline in our report.