Boston cop convicted of racially-motivated assault on Uber driver

A Boston police officer has been found guilty of a racially-motivated attack on an Uber driver.

Michael Doherty, 43, of South Boston was off-duty when he used racial and ethnic slurs when he assaulted a 28 year-old Revere man who was driving him home in the early morning hours of Jan. 4, 2015. Doherty struck the victim and chased him on foot outside the vehicle. When a second man— also an Uber driver— came to the original driver’s aide, Doherty jumped in the first car and took off from the scene.

Doherty was convicted of using a “motor vehicle without permission,” but was acquitted of violating the civil rights of the second man. Doherty fled the area on foot and later surrendered to Boston Police.

“The defendant’s conduct that night was reprehensible,” said District Attorney Dan Conley. “His words and actions have no place in civilized society. They represented a crime against the victims, who were doing nothing more than trying to work for a living, and they were a slap in the face to countless police officers who work hard every day to earn the community’s trust with honor and professionalism. Racially-motivated violence by anyone, sworn or civilian, will be investigated and prosecuted, and no one should ever be afraid to report it.”

Doherty will be sentenced on April 17.

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