BROCKTON — The family of Boston police officer and Braintree native John O’Keefe filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday against Karen Read, the woman accused of killing him, and two bars in Canton they visited before his death.
John O’Keefe’s brother, Paul O’Keefe, and his estate filed the 22-page civil lawsuit in Plymouth Superior Court against John O’Keefe’s girlfriend Karen Read and Canton bars C.F. McCarthy’s and the Waterfall.
The suit is seeking at least $50,000 in damages including “reasonably expected society, companionship, comfort, guidance, counsel, net income, services, assistance, protection, care, and advice to next of kin.”
The lawsuit states Read’s conduct was “extreme and outrageous, beyond the bounds of decency and was utterly intolerable” and that she “outrageously created a false narrative.”
Karen Read charged with second-degree murder
Karen Read was charged with second-degree murder after O’Keefe’s body was found in the driveway outside the Canton home of a fellow Boston police officer Jan. 29, 2022, during a snowstorm. Prosecutors say Read was drunk and angry when she purposely hit him after a night of drinking at C.F. McCarthy’s and the Waterfall.
But defense attorneys for Read say she was framed for O’Keefe’s death.
Read is also charged with manslaughter while driving drunk and leaving the scene of personal injury and death.
Prosecutors called more than 65 witnesses in testimony that started April 29.
The defense’s list of witnesses was much shorter and included a plow driver who said he did not see anything on the lawn in Canton where O’Keefe’s body was found.
Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial in the case in July. She has scheduled a second trial to begin Jan. 27, 2025.
Defense lawyers sought to have some charges against Karen Read dropped
Following the mistrial, Read’s defense attorneys filed motions seeking to dismiss two charges in the case and said the jury had agreed unanimously that Read was not guilty of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident with injury or death.
But prosecutors argued that the defense had the chance to object to the declaration of a mistrial at the time and did not, and the case does not have a verdict.
Judge Beverly Cannone sided with the prosecution and last week ruled Read can be retried on all charges.
