John O’Keefe’s family files wrongful death lawsuit against Karen Read, Canton barred

BROCKTON — The family of John O’Keefe filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday against Karen Read and two Canton, Massachusetts, bars.

The family accuses Read of hitting and kill O’Keefe and claims that the bars have served her too well.

The civil suit, filed in Plymouth Superior Court in Brockton, seeks at least $50,000 in damages for “conscious pain and suffering, fear of imminent death, wrongful death, loss of value to loved ones, severe and profound emotional distress manifested by bodily symptoms, and other compensable damages.”

Who is Karen Read?

Read is accused of running over her boyfriend John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer, with her SUV after a night of drinking. January 2022 and leaving him to die in a yard during a snowstorm in Canton.

She is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene causing bodily injury and death. Her first trial ended in a null trial in July after the jury failed to reach a verdict on three counts. The next trial is scheduled for January 27, 2025.

Read has pleaded not guilty to all three charges. His lawyers unsuccessfully sought to have two of the charges – second-degree murder and fleeing the scene – dismissed. dismissed after the mistrial. It was rejected by Judge Beverly Cannone last Friday.

Karen Read Civil Trial

Paul O’Keefe, John’s brother, is the lead plaintiff in the civil lawsuit against Read and the two bars where she and John O’Keefe were drinking just before her death – McCarthy’s and the Waterfall Bar and Grill.

“A criminal case is about punishing those who commit criminal acts, and the perpetrator can be sentenced to prison or some other criminal penalty,” said Doug Sheff, a wrongful death attorney. “In the civil world, all we have is monetary damages.”

The family claims the bars are responsible for serving him alcohol.

“Not only are they claiming that at the first establishment she had seven drinks, but she was allowed to take the last drink with her,” Sheff said. “It’s interesting that she may have appeared more intoxicated at the second establishment, even though she only had two drinks.”

The plaintiffs also include O’Keefe’s parents and his niece, whom he was caring for at the time of his death.

O’Keefe’s Complaint

In their complaint, the O’Keefes allege that in the months, weeks and days leading up to John O’Keefe’s death, “defendant Read picked fights, experienced jealousy and delusions of infidelity.”

The family also claims that “at all relevant times on January 29, 2022, Defendant Read was operating her SUV while intoxicated” and that “after JJ exited Defendant Read’s vehicle in front of 34 Fairview Rd. on January 29, 2022, Read operated her SUV and struck JJ.”

The O’Keefes also said that Read “knew or had reason to know that there was a risk of serious injury or death to JJ; or that such risk would have been obvious to a reasonable person; and she intentionally or unreasonably disregarded that risk…. JJ’s injuries or death resulted from Defendant Read’s decision to engage in this conduct.”

John O’Keefe’s body was found early the next morning, after Read said she began looking for him when he failed to return home that night.

“At approximately 4:30 a.m., Defendant Read knew that she had struck JJ with her SUV. Nevertheless, she woke up Kayley, JJ’s 14-year-old niece, and spoke about JJ’s death, talked about hitting JJ with her SUV, and involved Kayley in her frantic calls about JJ’s death,” the complaint states.

“At relevant times after 7:50 a.m. on January 29, 2022, Defendant Read attended JJ’s grieving home, feigned comfort for JJ’s family, and took the opportunity to, among other things, remove the incriminated weapon, his vehicle, and/or destroy relevant evidence.”

“He fabricated a conspiracy”

The complaint also stated: “Despite her Fifth Amendment right not to speak, Defendant Read chose to speak publicly. She knowingly and willfully altered her story and fabricated a conspiracy knowing it was false. She publicly communicated this false narrative, thereby frustrating justice for JJ. This false narrative caused Plaintiffs aggravated emotional distress.”

Read, his lawyers and the owners of the two bars have not yet commented.