Sons of retired Quincy police sergeant get bail in death of Bridgewater dad
The widow of a Bridgewater father of three who was killed in a “senseless” act of violence outside of a Quincy bar in January said it was “hard” to hear a judge hand out bail Wednesday to her husband’s accused attackers as they faced charges in court for the first time.
“They get to walk. They’re breathing. They’re alive. My husband’s not and he’s not here because of what they did,” said Kathy McCallum, speaking from the courthouse steps following the arraignment.
A pair of brothers — Matthew and Steven Potter — are facing multiple charges in a spiraling sequence of events that escalated into a brawl in front of the Robert I. Nickerson American Legion Post in Quincy’s Squantum Point in the early-morning hours of Jan. 27, leaving 44-year-old Christopher McCallum bleeding and unconscious on the pavement. McCallum died from his injuries the following day.
Matthew Potter – who is accused of throwing the fatal punch — pleaded not guilty to manslaughter on Wednesday afternoon in Norfolk Superior Court. His bail was set at $20,000. He is also facing charges of assault and two counts of indecent assault on a woman stemming from an incident in the bar earlier that evening, when he allegedly grabbed the “buttocks and breast” of a woman, according to court records.
Steven Potter pleaded not guilty to assault and assault and battery causing serious bodily injury. He was released on $1,000 cash bail.
“We’ve been waiting for this for so long but no matter how this ends, we’re the ones with the life sentence,” Kathy McCallum said.
It took investigators nine months to levy charges against Matthew and Steven Potter — who are the sons of retired Quincy police Sgt. Richard Potter. Their sister, Cheryl Potter, is still on the force.
It was those “close ties” that Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan said prompted him to recuse his department from participating just three days into the investigation.
“When the Potter name came up — when he was mentioned as a person of interest — I decided it was best to recuse ourselves to avoid any potential conflicts of interest,” Keenan said.
Prosecutors spoke to dozens of witnesses during the investigation, but prosecutor Lisa Beatty said the Potters were the only two people at the Nickerson Post on the night of McCallum’s attack who declined to speak to police.
Other witnesses told police the Potter brothers were “intoxicated,” causing arguments and got kicked out of the bar, according to court documents.
One patron told police he saw the Potter brothers, Christopher McCallum and his twin brother fighting outside amid a chaotic scene. When McCallum was hit, witnesses described “hearing an audible cracking sound” when his head hit the pavement.
He was taken to Boston Medical Center where he was taken off life support and died.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/34ARXiN
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