Police association asks Select Board to seek apology after on‑scene confrontation involving board member

At the citizens‑forum portion of the April 14 meeting, Ryan Haney, president of the Uxbridge Police Association, read a prepared statement asking the Select Board to obtain a written apology from Select Board member Peter Demers to Sergeant John Larrabee.

Haney said a recent public remark by Demers about an officer using a phone during a paid traffic detail was a "wildly inaccurate" public characterization, and he described an on‑scene confrontation in which Demers allegedly approached Sergeant Larrabee in an aggressive manner while the sergeant was on his phone calling his mother about a family emergency. Haney read a passage he said was reported as Demers telling the sergeant, "I don't give an s h i t. Get off your phone." He also disputed a claim that officers at details were not wearing required high‑visibility clothing and said the matter had been referred to Commonwealth ethics authorities.

The board heard the statement during public comment; subsequent remarks by Select Board members during the meeting indicated some members planned one‑on‑one conversations to follow. A Select Board member later defended speaking up when they perceive public‑employee conduct that risks safety, and the record shows the association's request for an apology was made publicly.

Next steps: Haney’s statement was entered into the record; any formal action on an apology or personnel investigation would depend on follow‑up by the parties and any ethics or personnel processes.