Westboro Police Chief Todd Minardi Placed on Leave After Shrewsbury Parking Lot Incident

Westboro Police Chief Todd Minardi has been placed on administrative leave after a Shrewsbury police report described him as "hammered drunk" and found asleep in an unmarked cruiser.

The Shrewsbury Police Department report, obtained by WBZ-TV, states that a call came in around noon on Friday from a person at Star Liquors on Route 9. A Shrewsbury police lieutenant wrote that upon arriving, an officer told him, ".. it's the Chief of Police for Westborough and he was hammered drunk." Minardi was not in uniform and was seated in his unmarked Ford Explorer SUV, with the keys wedged between the cup holder and center console. Police reported two vodka bottles on the passenger seat, one empty and the other uncapped and mostly empty.

Officers reported that Minardi's eyes were red, bloodshot, and glassy, and that his speech was slow and slurred with the smell of alcohol. Before he could be transported to UMass Memorial Hospital, his wife called and told a paramedic that Minardi had been missing for two days. She said he had not eaten food and was only drinking vodka.

Reviewing surveillance footage, Shrewsbury police determined Minardi first arrived at the liquor store around 9 a.m. Thursday and did not leave until Friday, when he was taken to the hospital around 12:30 p.m. The footage also showed that after arriving in the parking lot, Minardi did not drive the unmarked cruiser. Shrewsbury police issued Minardi a citation for an open container of alcohol.

Westboro officials said they began taking steps to retain an outside investigator to gather more information while Minardi is on leave. The deputy police chief is currently leading the department's day-to-day operations, and the Town of Westboro said it will not comment further because it is a personnel matter.

Minardi has served as Westboro police chief since 2023 and was sworn into the position in June of that year. Westboro is located in Worcester County, Massachusetts, about 30 miles west of Boston, while Shrewsbury sits about seven miles east of Westboro.