Hingham Cop Faked Injury On The Job: Appeals Court Confirms

HINGHAM, MA — A former Hingham police sergeant convicted of lying about getting hit by a car on the job four years ago lost his appeal Monday. Kris Phillips, 53, of Hingham, was found guilty of misleading a police investigation and two counts of filing a false insurance claim.

Phillips in Dec. 2016 was sentenced to two years in prison, but was ordered to serve six months in the Dukes County House of Corrections with the remaining balance suspended for three years. He served three months of that sentence before being granted parole in Jan. 2017, the Patriot Ledger reported. Phillips will also have to pay $1,900 in restitution after losing in the state's Appeals Court. He also can no longer work in law enforcement or own a gun.

"Each day they put the uniform on, our police officers put their lives on the line in order to keep the public safe," District Attorney Tim Cruz said in a statement. "His unlawful actions and betrayal of trust should not tarnish the exemplary work performed day in and day out by members of the Hingham Police Department."

On July 17, 2015, Phillips said he suffered serious injuries when a person backing a car out of a parking spot during a paid detail at the Hingham Shipyard hit him. A police investigation revealed that Phillips' claim of being struck and the manner of the incident were fabricated, the Plymouth County District Attorney's office said.

The investigation found that Phillips, who is out on administrative leave, misled Hingham officers responding to the accident, filed false reports of injuries as a result of the accident, and fraudulently received health insurance coverage for treatment from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, according to the DA's office.