LAWRENCE — Former Lawrence Police Chief William Castro has been permanently stripped of his Massachusetts law enforcement certification — banning him from police work in the state, and via the National Decertification Index from law enforcement anywhere in the country — after the state's Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission found by clear and convincing evidence that he filed a false police report, intimidated witnesses, and unlawfully retaliated against the Lawrence Police lieutenant who reported him.

The unanimous Final Decision was issued Thursday, June 18, 2026, by the Commission and signed by its Chair, Hon. Margaret R. Hinkle (Ret.). The decision permanently revokes Castro's certification under M.G.L. c. 6E, § 10(a) and orders the publication of his decertification to the National Decertification Index, effectively ending his law enforcement career.

Castro was appointed Provisional Chief of the Lawrence Police Department in October 2023 by Mayor Brian DePeña — for whom Castro had previously served as Chief of Staff.

Lawrence Mayor Brian A. DePeña, who appointed his former Chief of Staff, William Castro, as Provisional Lawrence Police Chief in October 2023. — Mayor Brian DePeña, who appointed his former Chief of Staff, William Castro, as Provisional Lawrence Police Chief in October 2023. Photo: City of Lawrence.

The February 2, 2024 pursuit

The chain of events that ended Castro's career began on a Friday afternoon, February 2, 2024, with a routine dispatch call about a bad check at the NECS Federal Credit Union on Amesbury Street in Lawrence.

Castro initiated an unauthorized high-speed motor vehicle pursuit of the suspects' Mercedes. Despite Lawrence Police Department policy that limits vehicle pursuits to situations involving violent crimes or unlawful firearm use, Castro pursued a suspect wanted only for passing a bad check.

The Hearing Officer's findings of fact, adopted by the Commission, describe what happened next:

Castro followed the suspect's vehicle onto the sidewalk near Canal Street
He then pursued the suspect across the Amesbury Street/Central Bridge
When the suspect's Mercedes crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic on the busy bridge, Castro followed
Multiple vehicles were forced to brake or swerve to avoid him
The pursuit ended when the suspect's vehicle crashed into a guardrail

Officer Gregory Ovalles, one of the responding LPD officers who followed Castro in the pursuit, estimated the pursuit lasted "less than three minutes" and covered roughly 1 to 1.5 miles.

The false police report

Castro then drafted and filed an incident report containing what the Hearing Officer called a knowingly false statement.

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In his report, Castro wrote: "I perceived the operator and his passenger as being involved in a bank robbery."

That was the cover story. The actual dispatch audio, reviewed by investigators, said the call was for "passing a bad check" and "fake check" — twice. Every other LPD officer at the scene correctly described it in their reports as a bad check, a fake check, or bank fraud. Castro was the only officer who claimed it was a robbery.

Per the Hearing Officer's decision: "This case exemplifies the type of situation envisioned in the observation that 'the cover-up is often worse than the crime.'"

Retaliation against the Internal Affairs Lieutenant who reported him

The Lawrence Police Department's head of Internal Affairs, Lt. Paul Rossi, reported Castro's conduct to the POST Commission and to Mayor DePeña.

Castro then took two actions the Commission ruled were unlawful retaliation under M.G.L. c. 6E, § 12:

On February 23, 2024, he sent Mayor DePeña a memo accusing Lt. Rossi of being "compromised and unable to perform his duties impartially and objectively" as an IA investigator.
On March 14, 2024, he sent Lt. Rossi an email directing the lieutenant that he "should not be discussing ongoing IA investigations" and "should not be divulging the content of any communications . . . with others including POST in the future."

The Hearing Officer ruled this was a direct attempt to interfere with Lt. Rossi's right to report misconduct to the POST Commission, in violation of state law that bars adverse action against an officer who provides information to the Commission.

Castro continued performing police duties even while suspended

The Commission suspended Castro's certification on Thursday, March 21, 2024 — barring him from performing any police duties or functions. He continued to perform them anyway.

According to the Final Decision:

In April 2024, Castro attended a meeting at Lawrence City Hall and addressed budgeting and staffing issues related to the Lawrence Police Department
In May 2024, Castro met with a Captain of the Lawrence Police Department at the Captain's home and discussed an internal affairs investigation

Lawrence City Hall, where Castro continued attending meetings about the Lawrence Police Department even after the POST Commission suspended his certification. — Lawrence City Hall, where Castro continued attending Lawrence Police Department-related meetings in April 2024 — one month after the POST Commission suspended his certification. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The Commission's Executive Director sent Castro a letter in October 2024 reiterating that the suspension order "expressly prohibited" him from performing police duties or functions. The Final Decision concludes Castro willfully violated the suspension order.

What the Commission found

After a four-day hearing in December 2025 — at which thirteen witnesses testified and sixty-seven exhibits were admitted into evidence — Hearing Officer Hon. Kenneth J. Fishman (Ret.) issued his Initial Decision on April 22, 2026 recommending that Castro be decertified.

In Thursday's Final Decision, the Commission unanimously adopted the Hearing Officer's findings and ruled that Castro:

Knowingly filed a written police report containing a false statement (M.G.L. c. 6E, § 10(a)(i))
Engaged in intimidation of a witness (§ 10(a)(xiv))
Is not fit for duty as an officer and is dangerous to the public (§ 10(a)(xvi))
Engaged in a pattern of unprofessional police conduct that may escalate (§ 10(b)(iii))
Willfully violated the Commission's March 2024 Order of Suspension
Unlawfully retaliated against a member of the Lawrence Police Department (§ 12)

Castro's certification is now permanently revoked. His name is to be added to the National Decertification Index, which bars him from working as a law enforcement officer in any state.

Castro may file an appeal in Massachusetts Superior Court within 30 days of the Final Decision.

Lawrence Police Chief stripped of badge for life after he chased a bad-check suspect into oncoming traffic, claimed it was a 'bank robbery' — then threatened the lieutenant who reported him

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