Former Peabody Police Sergeant Found Guilty Of Assault, Strangulation

PEABODY, MA — Peabody Police Chief Thomas Griffin called the actions of former Sgt. Brendan O'Brien "inexcusable and unacceptable for anyone, let alone a member of the Peabody Police Department" after O'Brien was found guilty of domestic assault and battery, strangulation and the violation of a restraining order in Salem District Court on Monday.

Griffin released a statement on Monday after O'Brien was found guilty of the 2019 crimes following a two-day trial. Griffin's statement said O'Brien was placed on administrative leave on Aug. 24, 2019, after the female victim accused O'Brien of the assault, and that he resigned from the Peabody Police Department on Sept. 1, 2020.

"His behavior is not consistent with the high expectations we hold our officers to," Griffin said on Monday. "Our department strongly condemns any form of domestic violence and works diligently to support victims of these crimes."

O'Brien was sentenced to 18 months in jail, plus probation, and ordered to have no contact with the victim, a former girlfriend.

"I would like to thank the officers who worked on this case, the Essex County District Attorney's Office, and the victim who never wavered in this matter and endured the events of that day, as well as several years of court dates, before finally getting justice," Griffin said.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)