Mass State Police Colonel says all Michael Proctor's cases need to be reviewed

Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald on Jul 20, 2026

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Mass State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said that former Trooper Michael Proctor worked on “hundreds, if not thousands of cases,” that need to be reviewed in remarks that aired Sunday.

“Every single case that Michael Proctor worked on needs to be looked at,” Noble told WCVB’s On the Record.

Noble said Proctor’s racist and misogynistic text messages, brought to light in a lawsuit filed against the State Police and Canton Police Department by Karen Read, were personally “repulsive and repugnant” to him.

Proctor investigated Read for allegedly killing her late boyfriend Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe in 2022. Read was tried twice for second degree murder and acquitted last summer. Other crude and vulgar messages sent by Proctor about Read became a central part of her trials.

Noble said that the MSP are working with district attorneys to review the other cases Proctor was on to see whether his behavior may have impacted the investigations. He noted that the review is going to take time.

“We have an obligation to ensure that people like that, with that type of approach and that type of bigotry, do not wear this uniform,” he said.

Proctor’s behavior already caused a judge to review bail for Miles King, a defendant accused of murder. King was released but eventually rearrested on separate, alleged federal drug offenses.

Other alleged MSP misconduct

Noble also addressed several other recent allegations of misconduct and criminal behavior from other State Police officers.

He said that he couldn’t comment directly on the case of Sgt. Scott Quigley, who is accused of drunkenly colliding in a cruiser with a wheelchair van in 2023, leading to the death of one of its occupants, Anthony Schettino.

Quigley was charged with motor vehicle homicide and has pleaded not guilty.

“This is a very serious allegation,” Noble said. “I and this department are tracking the developments very seriously.”

The colonel also said he couldn’t yet release the name of a trooper who allegedly beat up a fellow officer at a Quincy bar earlier this month.

Noble told WCVB that he was awaiting news of whether the trooper would face charges and that according to protocol, the MSP doesn’t comment on active investigations, including releasing the names of suspects.

“I am confident that as soon as that investigation moves forward, the State Police will release names,” he said.

The Herald previously reported that the trooper has been suspended without pay and that the Quincy Police did file an application for a criminal complaint, which needs to go to a magistrate’s hearing before charges are filed.

Asked whether the MSP has a culture problem, Noble said he wouldn’t go so far as to call it that.

“The state police clearly has a misconduct proliferation problem,” he said, noting it was something that started before him and has continued into his tenure. “I believe that’s why I’m here, to come in and bring a fresh perspective.”

Noble was named colonel in 2024, becoming the first leader appointed from outside the agency.

He said that although there have scandals, there are thousands of troopers working across the state every day to keep residents safe, calling the culture of the agency one of “pride and excellence.”

Talking about the misconduct, he said, “frankly, the men and women of the Mass State Police are just as upset as the public.”

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