Cops in Woodman Arrest had been Disciplined

The investigation into the death of 22-year-old David Woodman hasn’t even begun, but already there is a new twist to the case. The Globe reported today that two of the officers involved in Woodman’s arrest had been disciplined by the department in the past.

One of the officers had been cited for domestic violence, and another for demonstrating a “lack of judgment” when dealing with a shooting suspect. Naturally, the lawyer for the Woodman family immediately cried foul, raising the theory that perhaps the cops were too rough on him.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, who asked former U.S. Attorney Donald K. Stern to review the case, countered the claim, saying the cops weren’t the ones to initiate the arrest.

“There was a violent resistance to an arrest, and the incident was over very, very quickly,” Davis said in a telephone interview (with the Globe).

We said yesterday that this would be a major test for Davis and the BPD, and the stakes continue to get higher.