Westborough Police Chief Found Asleep In Cruiser: Shrewsbury PD Report

WESTBOROUGH, MA — New details have emerged about the incident that led to Westborough Police Chief Todd Minardi being placed on administrative leave.

Officers responded to a welfare check involving Minardi on Friday, after he was found sleeping inside his department-issued police cruiser in a parking lot at 507 Boston Tpke., according to a Shrewsbury Police Department report shared with Patch on Tuesday.

Officers described Minardi as appearing intoxicated and said they found two bottles of Tito's vodka inside the vehicle, according to the report.

Minardi was subsequently issued a $505 citation for allowing an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, according to police records.

What Happened During The Welfare Check?

Shrewsbury police were dispatched to the parking lot around 12:19 p.m. Friday after receiving a report of a man sleeping inside a vehicle.

When officers arrived, they found Minardi sitting in the driver's seat of a gray Ford Explorer, according to the report.

Lt. Kevin Caviston wrote that Minardi initially appeared to be sleeping and did not respond when officers knocked on the window.

After Minardi woke up, Caviston said he noticed several signs of possible intoxication, including bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol.

"I realized that no officers were in distress and realized the 'step it up' call was the Officers needing a supervisor. I walked back to my cruiser, waiting for a moment to gather my thoughts," Caviston wrote in the report.

Caviston said he subsequently recognized Minardi as the Westborough police chief.

According to the report, Caviston also spoke with a Shrewsbury police officer who had been at the scene before he arrived. That officer told Caviston that Minardi was "hammered drunk," according to the report.

Caviston wrote that he subsequently took command of the scene because of Minardi's position as Westborough police chief.

The lieutenant also reported seeing two bottles of Tito's vodka on the passenger seat, including a 750-milliliter bottle and a smaller bottle. He wrote that one bottle had its cap off and was lying on the seat, while the other had its cap on.

According to the report, Minardi told officers he had been experiencing a medical issue and had been feeling unwell.

Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, but Minardi initially declined to go to the hospital, according to the report.

Caviston wrote that Minardi eventually agreed to be evaluated by medical personnel and was transported from the scene.

The report does not establish Minardi's blood alcohol concentration or indicate that he underwent a chemical test for intoxication.

Surveillance Footage Reviewed By Police

Following the incident, Shrewsbury police reviewed surveillance footage from businesses near the parking lot where Minardi was found.

According to the report, officers obtained footage showing Minardi's department-issued cruiser parked near Star Liquors on multiple days.

The report describes footage from Thursday showing Minardi entering the liquor store around 9:05 a.m. and purchasing a 750-milliliter bottle of Tito's vodka and a lottery ticket.

Police also reviewed footage from Friday, which showed the same vehicle parked in the area for several hours before officers responded to the welfare check.

Caviston wrote that surveillance footage showed Minardi inside the cruiser with a bottle of Tito's vodka and what appeared to be a plastic bag.

At one point, the lieutenant reported observing Minardi with the bottle near his mouth. The report does not establish the contents of the bottle at that moment.

Police also documented surveillance footage from earlier in the week showing the cruiser parked near the liquor store.

Chief Placed On Administrative Leave

The newly released report comes after the Town of Westborough announced Monday that Minardi had been placed on administrative leave following the incident.

Town officials said they were taking steps to retain an outside investigator to conduct a personnel review. The town has not publicly announced the outcome of that review.

Westborough's deputy police chief is overseeing the department's day-to-day operations under its existing organizational structure.

Minardi was first sworn in as interim chief in June 2023. He took the helm after former Chief Jeffrey Lourie stepped down to become Chief of Police in Falmouth.

The Westborough Police Department declined to comment on the matter.

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