Leominster officer to be punished for Crawford slur

LEOMINSTER, Mass. (WHDH) -- A Leominster police officer could lose his job after an internal investigation found that he directed a racial slur at Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford.

The city of Leominster said 38-year-old John Perrault has been with the department for about five years. He faces a civil service disciplinary hearing next week. At the hearing he could be terminated.

Perrault is being investigated after he allegedly directed a racial slur at Crawford while the slugger was rehabilitating his wrist with the Portland Sea Dogs in Manchester, N.H. on July 5.

"It surprised me it was a police officer. I'm disappointed and all that kind of stuff but like I said, I just want to put that stuff behind me and not even worry about it anymore," Crawford said.

Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella and Police Chief Robert Healey said similar instances may have also happened to other people.

“We have included that yes in fact he did utter the word -- a word -- to Mr. Crawford, who took that as a slur. In addition to that, other information has arisen, whether we have uncovered it or it was handed to us, as of yesterday we have concluded that Officer Perrault would have violated several rules and regulations of the Leominster Police Department…violations of our rules of conduct,” said one official.

7News tried to speak with Perrault, but he had no comment. Perrault’s nieces, who say they are Dominican, protested outside of Wednesday’s news conference.

“[He’s not racist] because we’re from the Dominican Republic. He has a brother-in-law here…It’s ridiculous. We’re not white ourselves,” said a relative of Perrault.

Perrault’s girlfriend told 7News that she is Puerto Rican.