SANDWICH, MA – A Sandwich police officer is facing criminal charges after an off-duty crash late Friday night in Forestdale that investigators say involved alcohol impairment. Officer Matthew Cotter was placed on leave after the collision, according to the Sandwich Police Department.
Authorities said Cotter was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violations and driving an unregistered motor vehicle. He is expected to be arraigned Monday in Barnstable District Court.
The department said the crash happened around 9:30 p.m. and ended with Cotter’s black BMW X5 leaving the roadway, hitting a resident’s stone flower beds and then striking a parked car. Cotter was not hurt, but the vehicle suffered heavy front-end damage.
Police say the BMW left the road on Grand Oak Road
According to the Sandwich Police Department, Cotter was driving on Grand Oak Road when the crash occurred. Officers who responded to the scene found him as the only person in the car and asked Massachusetts State Police to take over the investigation.
Police said troopers conducted a field sobriety test after Cotter appeared impaired. He was then arrested and taken to the Massachusetts State Police Bourne Barracks for processing.
The department has not released additional details about the sequence of events before the crash, but the reported damage suggests the BMW traveled off the roadway before striking the landscaping and the parked vehicle.
State troopers handled the arrest and sobriety testing
Massachusetts State Police became involved after Sandwich officers reached the scene and made the initial assessment. Troopers performed the field sobriety test and completed the arrest, which led to the charges filed against Cotter.
Officials said the crash was investigated as an off-duty incident, rather than one connected to Cotter’s police work. He was being processed at the Bourne Barracks after the arrest, police said.
The case now moves to Barnstable District Court, where Cotter is scheduled to be arraigned Monday. That court appearance is expected to address the charges stemming from the alleged impaired driving crash.
Sandwich police place Cotter on leave during internal review
Sandwich police said Cotter was placed on leave while the criminal case and department review proceed. In a statement, the department said its members hold one another and themselves to the highest standards.
The department also said it will conduct a thorough internal investigation in addition to the criminal case being handled by Massachusetts State Police. That internal review will run separately from the court process.
No further disciplinary outcome has been announced. The department’s statement indicates the agency is treating the matter as both a criminal allegation and a personnel issue.
Relative arrival and alleged assault on videographer remain under investigation
Sandwich police said a relative of Cotter arrived at the scene while the investigation was still underway. Authorities later said an independent news videographer told officers he had been verbally and physically assaulted by that relative.
Police said that alleged assault remains under investigation by Sandwich police. Officials have not said whether any additional charges have been filed in connection with that reported confrontation.
The added allegation turned an already serious crash scene into a second active investigation, with police handling both the driving case and the reported encounter with the videographer.
What the charges could mean as the case heads to court
Cotter’s charges include operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation, marked lanes violations and driving an unregistered motor vehicle. Each charge stems from the alleged conduct police described after the late-night crash.
The court process will determine how the case moves forward, but the department has already taken the internal step of placing Cotter on leave. The vehicle damage, police observations and field sobriety test all form part of the case as described by authorities.
For Sandwich police, the incident has become a public test of the department’s stated standards. For the officer involved, Monday’s arraignment in Barnstable District Court is the next formal step after a crash that damaged property, prompted an arrest and led to two separate investigations.
