Gregg Bigda
Service Record
Springfield Massachusetts Police Department
| Rank | Officer |
| Dates of Service | Hired in 1984.[1] |
| Salary | $68,120[2] |
| Last Known Status | Suspended[3] |
Incident Reports
A reporter wrote that Bigda has been the subject of over two dozen civilian complaints and was disciplined for threatening a former girlfriend.[4]
2016 Arrest of Teenagers
On February 27, 2016, Officer Steven Vigneault left his unmarked police cruiser running while he went inside a restaurant to pickup a pizza. Four Latino teens stole the cruiser, which was spotted about two hours later by a Wilbraham Massachusetts Police Department officer. Palmer Massachusetts Police Department officers deployed "stop sticks" to flatten the vehicle's tires. One boy surrendered, and two were tracked by police dogs, while one escaped.[5]
Bigda kicked two of the teens in the face while they were on the ground in handcuffs.[6] Bigda also spat on a teen, and said, "Welcome to the white man's world." [7]
After the arrest, Bigda interrogated the juveniles separately, without their parents' presence, and without advising them of their Constitutional rights. Bigda threatened each of them several times, including the threat of physical violence and to frame one of them for crimes that he had not committed.[7] The interviews were captured on video.[8]
Response Timeline
In 2016, Vigneault resigned.[6]
On September 23, 2016, Bigda was suspended for 60 days without pay for his actions during the interrogation. The suspension came after the 90-day window for firing an officer had passed.[1]
On December 7, 2016, the suspension ended and Bigda returned to the department, where he was reassigned to the Records Division.[1]
In 2017, the charges against one of the teens - identified as "F.E." - were dismissed due to the actions of the police.[6]
In 2018, Bigda was indefinitely suspended without pay.[3]
On August 28, 2018, "F.E." filed a lawsuit against Bigda, Vigneault, Captain Rupert Daniel, Massachusetts State Trouper Matthew Baird, and the city. The boy claimed that he was beaten by Bigda and bitten by a police dog while in custody.[6]
On October 25, 2018, Bigda was charged with use of excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment, abusive interrogation in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, and filing a false report.[3][9] Bigda faced up to 15 years behind bars if convicted.[10]
On December 13, 2021, Bigda was found not guilty.[3][9]
On June 10, 2020, one of the teens - identified as "D.R." - filed a lawsuit against Bidga, Luke Cournoyer, Rupert Daniel, the police commissioner, and the city.[11]
In February 2022, the city settled "D.R."'s civil lawsuit for $262,000.[12]
LEO Ratings
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Patrick Johnson, From a stolen cruiser to excessive force indictments: A timeline of Springfield police officers Gregg Bigda and Steven Vigneault, MassLive, 2018-10-31
- ↑ Gregg Bigda A Police Officer City Of Springfield, govSalaries
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Taylor Knight, Should Springfield Officer Bigda get his job back?, WWLP, 2021-12-14
- ↑ Stephanie Barry, Footage shows Springfield Detective Gregg Bigda's threats to teen suspects; legal experts say some tactics cross line, MassLive, 2016-11-06
- ↑ Stephanie Barry, Springfield police pizza run led to stolen undercover car, chase and allegations of excessive force, reports show, MassLive, 2016-07-13
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Stephanie Barry, 'Welcome to white town,' Springfield detective Gregg Bigda allegedly told Hispanic suspect, federal lawsuit says, MassLive, 2018-09-29
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 U.S. v Bigda and Vigeault Indictment, U.S. District Court, 2018-10-25
- ↑ Springfield detective Gregg Bigda interrogates teens in jail cell, MassLive, 2016-11-05
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 U.S. v Bigda Jury Verdict, U.S. District Court, 2021-12-13
- ↑ Stephanie Barry, Springfield police detective Gregg Bigda found not guilty of brutality, abusive interrogation, MassLive, 2021-12-13
- ↑ D.R. v Bigda et al, U.S. District Court, 2020-06-10
- ↑ Stephanie Barry, Springfield to pay out $262K over arrest involving juvenile, suspended Police Officer Gregg Bigda, Mass Live, 2022-02-09
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