Photo: Boston Police Department
In 1995, as a plainclothes officer with the Boston Police Department, Michael Cox was assaulted by fellow officers who thought he was a gang member. Unable to get an apology, he sued and won a $1.3 million settlement. Despite that fight, he was able to salvage his career and rise in rank, managing various divisions before moving on in 2019 to lead the Ann Arbor, Michigan, Police Department. Then, last August, he was chosen as Boston police commissioner, and is expected to bring much-needed change, culturally and administratively. “I’ve worked to change policing since [the assault] occurred,” he said during his swearing-in, “and I will continue to do all I can to make sure that no Black or brown person, or any individual, no matter their gender identity or race, is a victim of any kind of unconstitutional policing.” For the past six months, he has been holding meetings with community members to formulate a plan to address all the concerns.
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