Governor Deval Patrick on Saturday announced sweeping disciplinary measures against three prison guards and three high-ranking Department of Correction officials for the roles they played in the 2009 death of 23-year-old Joshua K. Messier as guards attempted to restrain him at Bridgewater State Hospital.
Patrick formally reprimanded Correction Commissioner Luis S. Spencer for his inaction in the wake of Messier’s death, which was ruled a homicide four years ago. His public safety secretary also called for the resignation of Assistant Deputy Commissioner Karen Hetherson from her $117,000-a-year job for overruling a 2011 Internal Affairs report that cited two of the guards for misconduct.