Special to the Transcript
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden joined leaders in the Winthrop community last week to discuss the upcoming two-year anniversary of the killings of Ramona Cooper and David Green.
Winthrop Chief of Police Terence Delehanty hosted a panel discussion featuring District Attorney Hayden, Lieutenant Detective Timothy O’Connor from the Mass State Police, Chenee Castruita from the FBI Civil Rights Division, Peggy Shukur from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Andrea Baez, Chair of the Winthrop DEI Commission, and Meredith Hurley, Winthrop’s Director of Public Health.
The panel started with a recognition of the two lives lost on June 26, 2021, and the pain that was caused to the Cooper and Green families, the witnesses, and the community as a whole on that day. As the conversation went on, DA Hayden discussed the difference between a hate incident and a hate crime, and how reports are reviewed in his office. He stressed that they take all bias crimes seriously and will prosecute them to the fullest extent possible if the facts support the charges. He also recognized the fears that victims often have surrounding reporting to police, including fear of retribution, and re-traumatization. Knowing this, he urged people to report and noted that his office will do whatever it can to support victims who go through the court process.
The panelists discussed the current climate and what types of hate crimes are currently happening in Massachusetts. Each shared what their agency does when it receives a report and what resources there are for victims. Those from Winthrop talked about the response that occurred in the days and weeks after the shootings occurred, and what they learned about the differing needs of community members. The ADL’s Peggy Shukur took a moment to acknowledge that she was glad a community was having this discussion two years after a horrible crime, and that keeping the conversation going is important.
State Police Lieutenant Detective Tim O’Connor shared that his agency is often called in to lead or assist in homicide investigations when needed, as they did back in 2021 after the killings of Cooper and Green. He also recognized the courage and professionalism of the first responders on that day in 2021.
The panelists asked listeners who were interested to get involved in community activities that support others and for all to speak up should they see an incident of bias occur. Agent Castruita reminded everyone that reports can be made anonymously to the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
District Attorney Hayden, Chief Delehanty and all the panelists ended with asking everyone to remember the lives of the two brave public servants who were killed, Ramona Cooper and David Green, and to commit to fighting hate.
The panel discussion will begin airing later this week on Winthrop Community Access Television (WCATV), www.wcat-tv.org.
For more information on bias incidents, trends, and resources, go to the Anti-Defamation League’s website at www.adl.org.