Prometheus 6   

Police tied to a beating and coverup
US grand jury indicts two Boston officers
(By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff)
Two Boston police officers were indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday, accused of orchestrating a coverup by recruiting eyewitnesses to lie about the alleged beating of a teenager.

The 29-page federal indictment charges Sergeant Joseph A. LeMoure, who allegedly carried out the beating, with violating the civil rights of Peter Fratus on June 24, 2000, and then, along with Patrolman Joseph F. Polito, tampering with witnesses, obstructing justice, and suborning perjury.

LeMoure, 42 and a 14-year veteran from Saugus, and Polito, 29, of Boston, were placed on leave without pay yesterday.

''These are serious allegations against these officers,'' Boston Police Commissioner Paul F. Evans said in a written statement about the indictments. ''The Boston Police Department will not tolerate this behavior, and has assisted the US attorney's Office in their investigation.''

Fratus, now 21, welcomed the indictments of the two officers, who last November settled a civil suit filed by Fratus for an undisclosed sum.

''I always knew I was telling the truth,'' said Fratus, who was living in East Boston at the time of the alleged beating and now resides in Revere. ''It doesn't surprise me that they lied. But it surprises me to see how many people were involved. I'm happy that people who are supposed to enforce the law are held accountable when they break the law.''