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2 Springfield Police Officers Arrested, Berkshire DA Race Makes Headlines

Springfield police officer Gregg Bigda, at left, and former Springfield detective Steven Vigneault, have been accused of excessive use of force while working in the Narcotics bureau.
Don Treeger / Dave Roback
/
The Republican / masslive.com/photos
Springfield, Massachusetts, police officer Gregg Bigda, left, and former Springfield detective Steven Vigneault, right. Gregg Bigda, left, and former Springfield detective Steven Vigneault, right.

Two Springfield police officers, one current and one former, are facing federal charges in connection with a 2016 incident, involving two Latino juveniles. 

Gregg Bigda and Steven Vigneault are charged with using unreasonable force against the teens after they allegedly stole an unmarked police cruiser. Bigda is also facing additional charges, including allegedly falsifying police records to cover up the incident. He was originally suspended 60 days at the time of the incident, while Vigneault left the Springfield Police. 

While much of the attention in Massachusetts leading up to Election Day has been on statewide races and ballot questions, one local contest has grabbed a lot of headlines: The Berkshire district attorney race. Andrea Harrington beat two opponents in the Democratic primary, including the current DA Paul Caccaviello. He then decided to mount a write-in campaign in the general election. Ever since, both sides have traded jabs and accusations. 

And Smith College officials this week released a report clearing an employee of wrongdoing in an incident involving an African-American student. This summer, the worker called campus police on the student, who was eating her lunch during a break from a campus job. Some on the campus called this an instance of racial profiling. 

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