Salem Officer Arrested, Put on Leave After Rape Charges

SALEM, MA — A Salem police officer was arrested and charged with rape Tuesday evening.

Essex County District Attorney's office spokeswoman Carrie Kimball-Monahan confirmed with Patch , indicates that Brian Butler was arrested just after 5 p.m. He was charged with one count of rape and one count of indecent assault and battery.

Butler's bail was set at $25,000, according to Kimball-Monahan. In a letter to the officers of the Salem Police Department, Butler re-affirmed her commitment to the police department.

You may or may not be aware that earlier tonight Officer Butler, my husband and your co-worker, was arrested by the Mass State Police and was charged with Rape and Indecent Assault and Battery due to an incident at the Police Station. Though I will not get into any discussions about the incident, know that in all matters, regardless of who is involved, we must always put our integrity and the service to the public above all as it reflects on the solid reputation this Department has worked so hard to build and maintain.

As Chief of this Department, it saddens me greatly that the alleged actions of one of our own is going to place another spotlight on the profession and on all of you, which is incredibly undeserved. Policing at this time is difficult enough, with scrutiny on our actions, policies and procedures, and our relationship with our community, without having one more thing that is burdensome to you and our mission.

Even though I am taking some time to deal with personal matters related to this, I continue to be fully committed to all the men and women of the Salem Police Department who work diligently everyday to ensure the safety of our residents and our community.

Mary