An attorney representing Joshua Heal — an ex-cop accused of having a sexual encounter with Sandra Birchmore when he was the animal control officer in Stoughton and lying about it — said at a Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission hearing that his client has no interest in working again as a police officer.
The Commission held a status conference hearing on Zoom on Wednesday, July 23, as part of its disciplinary proceedings against Heal, one of at least four former Stoughton employees accused of having a sexual relationship with Birchmore before her death in 2021. The other three were former Stoughton police officers. Heal was the animal control officer in Stoughton and later became a police officer in Abington, where he no longer works.
The Commission, an agency responsible for certifying officers in the state, will determine through its proceedings if Heal should be allowed to voluntarily let his certification expire or if he should be decertified.
If decertified, Heal would not be able to work for a Massachusetts law enforcement agency in any capacity, according to the Commission’s website.
Fourth ex-Stoughton employee implicated in Sandra Birchmore misconduct
The Commission deliberations against Heal stem from a 2022 report on a 19-month Stoughton Police Department internal affairs investigation that concluded three former police officers had “inappropriate relations” with Birchmore.
The investigation also concluded that Heal, while serving as an animal control officer in Stoughton, engaged in a sexual act with Birchmore at his workplace and lied about it.
The encounter was consensual and took place when Birchmore was an adult, according to a transcript of a Stoughton Police internal affairs interview cited by Heal’s attorney in a court filing.
As a result of the investigation, Heal, who was by then working for the Abington Police Department, resigned in February 2023.
His name became public in part because Stoughton Police failed to redact his name from the investigation report.
‘No interest in continuing being a police officer’
Heal’s attorney Peter Farrell said during the July 23 hearing that since his client’s police certification expired July 1, no additional disciplinary action needed to be taken by the Commission.
“He believes if his certification voluntarily expires, and he doesn’t intend on renewing, that that should be it,” Farrell said. “He has no interest in continuing with being a police officer.”
Farrell, on behalf of Heal, and Commission appointed attorney Shaun Martinez are currently drafting an agreement both parties will voluntarily agree to.
If Heal is classified as having an expired certification status, it will be publicly listed on the Commission website for 90 days from the date of classification, according to the organization’s website.
Unlike decertified officers, officers with expired certifications can submit a recertification application with the Commission.
Agreement stalls after Heal denies misconduct allegations
“We drafted an agreement that we had anticipated would be acceptable to Mr. Heal, which is a little bit closer to the requests of the officer than we typically do,” Martinez said at the hearing to discuss the agreement’s status.
Farrell’s revisions to the draft, he said, were a little bit further off than he was expecting but said that it is possible the matter will still be resolved voluntarily.
The sticking point in the agreement, Farrell said, is that the Commission wants Heal to admit to some of the factual allegations in the agreement, which he denies.
“He shouldn’t be forced to admit to something that he disputes,” Farrell said. “But at the same time, given the public attention to this case he’d like to move on.”
What about the other three officers?
Former Stoughton Police detective Matthew Farwell was arrested in 2024 on charges he strangled 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore to death inside her Canton apartment in 2021 amid allegations he was the father of her unborn child.
In June, The Boston Globe reported DNA testing showed Matthew Farwell did not father Birchmore’s baby.
Matthew was also accused of grooming, statutory rape and then sexual violence against Birchmore, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy said.
Matthew Farwell: Shocking new details revealed in indictment of ex-Stoughton cop in Sandra Birchmore murder
Then-Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell, and his dog Orry, graduated from Alpha Canis Training and Care in Weymouth, Friday, April 29, 2016.
Matthew Farwell voluntarily gave up his Massachusetts law enforcement certification in March of 2024.
William Farwell, Matthew’s twin brother, also agreed to voluntarily give up his Massachusetts law enforcement certification in September of 2024 after an investigation revealed he lied about the extent of his relationship with Birchmore, according to the Commission.
William Farwell: Twin brother of Stoughton cop accused of murder gives up law enforcement certification
The Farwell twins are both listed as decertified on the Commission website, meaning they cannot work for a law enforcement agency, a sheriff or the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security in Massachusetts in any capacity, according to the Commission’s Communications and Media Relations Manager Alia Spring.
Decertified officers are placed on the National Decertification Index (NDI), making it unlikely they would be hired in another state, according to Spring. Law enforcement agencies typically verify an officer’s status in the NDI before hiring, she said.
The POST Commission proceedings against Robert Devine, a former deputy chief also accused of sexually exploiting Birchmore, are ongoing.
As of July 25, Devine is listed as “not certified” by the Commission on its website. An individual cannot be hired or actively employed as a law enforcement officer in Massachusetts if they are not certified by the Commission.
Sandra Birchmore, right, is pictured with then-Deputy Police Chief Robert Devine, one of three officers accused of having inappropriate relationships with her, when she was a member of the Stoughton Police Explorers Program as a teenager. Another former Stoughton officer, Matthew Farwell, is accused of murdering Birchmore to coverup his relationship with her when she was minor.
Robert Devine: What to know about hearing against ex-Stoughton cop accused of exploiting Sandra Birchmore
When is Heal’s next Commission hearing?
The next Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission hearing on the matter of Heal is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 10 a.m.
The Commission will meet on Aug. 21 to discuss any potential agreements.
The date of the hearing will be posted on the Commission’s website events page. Interested parties can also sign up to receive the Commission’s hearing notices by email.
With reporting by Christopher Helms
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Sandra Birchmore case: Will ex-Stoughton ACO be decertified as a cop?