Michael Cox, once beaten by colleagues, to lead Boston police

Michael Cox, a former Boston police officer who was beaten by colleagues who mistook him for a suspect in a fatal shooting will be Boston’s next police commissioner.

Cox, 57, a Roxbury native, served in multiple roles with the Boston Police Department before becoming the police chief in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2019. He is expected to take over in Boston next month. 

According to Cox, his appointment is an “emotional moment” for him. He committed to working to diversify the police force, which critics have long claimed does not adequately reflect the city it serves, and to ensure that officers feel encouraged to perform their duties to safeguard the community.

“I think this is a very exciting time. I think the officers need someone to support them,” Cox told reporters Wednesday. “And I’m going to their biggest cheerleader.”

Cox joined the Boston Police Department in 1989 and rose through the ranks over the years, becoming part of the command staff and running various units of the force.

Cox joined the Boston Police Department in 1989

In January 1995, Cox was operating undercover in plainclothes when his fellow officers mistook him for a suspect in a fatal shooting and severely beat him.

Cox claimed that the officers later tried to cover up the fact he had been beaten and left bloodied on the ground. 

He stated that while it was a hard time for him, he chose to stay in the department and improve things for the better rather than walking away from a job he loved and had worked hard for. 

“Since then, in 1995, I have dedicated my life to making sure that both the Boston police department and policing, in general, has grown and learned … to make sure that we have structures and mechanisms in place to make sure that we never repeat that kind of incident against anyone,” Cox told reporters.

Dennis White was the previous commissioner of Boston. He was fired last year after domestic violence allegations that dated back decades came to light. White was placed on leave over the allegations, which he denied, just days into his new job.

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