Boston's Finest Cop Beats Uber Driver And Steals His Car, Allegedly

A 16-year veteran of the Boston police department seems to have had a pretty exciting off-duty Sunday morning, with highlights including some racial slurs, a little bit of fisticuffs, and stealing an Uber driver's car. Say what you will, this guy knows how to keep things exciting.

The police officer is 40 year-old Michael Doherty, is currently facing charges of assault and battery and "using a vehicle without authority," which sounds like a pretty nice way of saying "stole a car." The police report includes the Uber driver's description of the events, which seem to have taken place as follows:

Doherty called for and entered the Uber car some time around 2-2:30 am. It seems the Uber driver took Doherty to the wrong address, which caused Doherty to tell the driver

"What, you think I'm stupid, you [word that normally precedes 'and span.]"

After that, Doherty told the man to continue driving, and while the Uber driver was, well, driving, Doherty began to hit him, repeatedly. The Uber driver stopped the car at E 2nd and M Streets, and exited the car, soon followed by Doherty, who chased him around the vehicle, possibly to the music of Yackity Sax.

The Uber driver attempted to flag down passing vehicles for help, and soon one stopped. While the driver was talking to the man offering assistance, Doherty got in the Uber car and drove off. The Uber driver got in the helpful man's car, and took off after his car.

Doherty stopped the stolen Uber car at E 1st and Farragut Roads, and then confronted the Uber driver and his new friend, saying to the assisting man

"What do you want, you [N-word]?"

Just to keep things interesting, Doherty shoved the Uber driver to the ground, and struck him while the other man attempted to pull him off. On-duty, rational cops finally arrived, prompting Doherty to walk away, only to turn himself in later in the morning. Whew. Big night.

Doherty is currently out on bail, sporting stitches, a black eye, and a sling, and maintains he was the victim of the altercation.

I guess we'll see how this all plays out. I'm sure longtime cabbies have been seeing this general sort of behavior for years, but Uber is doing quite a service letting us common folk have access to the grand world of people — possibly even cops — behaving like drunken animals.