After a recent arrest, the state DYS employee who had previously served time in jail for motor vehicle homicide and encouraged Boston police officers to contact his employer, the female governor, has been placed on unpaid leave.
The news broke after the Boston Police Department arrested Joshua Cooper on weapons and assault charges during a wild event in Dorchester last weekend, according to the Herald.
The 36-year-old guy from Stoughton was discovered unlawfully in possession of a loaded firearm. He allegedly defied police commands and then knocked multiple officers to the ground.
In a statement provided to the Herald on Friday, MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale said, “The arrest of a state employee who is trusted to protect vulnerable children on firearms charges raises alarming questions about who is being hired by Governor Maura Healey and whether stronger background checks would have uncovered his homicide conviction.”
After Cooper, then 25 years old, drove intoxicated through a red light and collided with Morris Webb’s SUV in Brockton, killing the 42-year-old father of three, he was sentenced to four years in state prison starting in 2014.
The Herald was directed to the Department of Youth Services by a Healey representative who declined to comment on Cooper’s arrest.
Cooper was employed as a juvenile justice youth development expert by the agency in September, according to a DYS representative who told the Herald that some of its employees have firsthand knowledge of the legal system.
Cooper was prohibited from drinking alcohol as part of a probationary requirement at the time of the deadly collision because of a 2013 incident in which he was accused of assaulting a police officer.
Cooper was charged with two 2013 events prior to his conviction for motor vehicle homicide. Charges of assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and threatening to conduct a crime resulted from one, while possession with intent to distribute marijuana was the result of the other.
Cooper applied for a job as a DYS adolescent development expert more than ten years later, passing interviews, a background investigation, a medical examination, a drug test, and a psychological evaluation.
If a candidate’s background check reveals a problem, such a felony past, they can choose to take part in a discretionary review and waiver procedure, the DYS representative said.
Cooper was hired by DYS after it was decided that he satisfied the requirements for a waiver and hire.
After the Boston Police Department reacted to a ShotSpotter activation in Dorchester early last Saturday morning and discovered that the individual was unlawfully in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson revolver, Cooper is once again facing legal issues.
According to an incident report, Cooper grew more angry when he and the police arrived to the BPD’s Roxbury office for booking and refused to put his hands in preservation bags meant to preserve evidence of gunshot residue.
According to the report, Cooper told officers that he handcuffs children all day long (referring to his job as a DYS worker), encouraged officers to speak with his supervisor, the female governor, and threatened to sue officers while grinning and laughing.
The report emphasizes that tensions increased even more.
Cooper violently struggled, knocking several officers to the ground and almost colliding with civilian crime lab technicians who were barely able to leave the cell. He also jerked both of his hands toward the front of his body and wildly tried to swing his fist towards an officer.
Cooper has been released after posting $3,000 bail during his arraignment at Dorchester Boston Municipal Court on Monday. Cooper faces firearms and assault charges related to the dramatic experience. He is scheduled to appear in court again for a hearing on probable cause in September.
In a statement provided to the Herald on Friday night, DYS Commissioner Cecely Reardon stated, “We have taken immediate action to place this individual on unpaid leave while this is under review.” We appreciate law enforcement’s efforts, and this is inappropriate behavior.
Cooper’s unpaid administrative leave, according to the agency, is in line with a pertinent collective bargaining agreement.
Cooper is a Youth Service Group Worker I, according to payroll records from the state Comptroller’s Office. As of July 12, 2025, he has earned $59,222, or $65,427 year.
Records show that after being hired last year, Cooper made $16,299 in the role, or $63,522 annually.
A criminal background check will be performed on the suggested applicant prior to their hiring, according to the job application for a DYS juvenile justice adolescent development expert.
Working with juvenile justice-involved kids and young adults (most of whom are between the ages of 16 and 20) in a secured residential facility around-the-clock, seven days a week, the role involves giving them the knowledge and life skills they need to grow up to be responsible, independent adults.
According to the application, if verbal de-escalation tactics fail, staff members are expected to utilize physical interventions to protect safety and security (in accordance with department standards).
According to the application, you will guarantee the youth’s safety and security in this team-led setting while providing them with the chance to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to grow up to be responsible, self-sufficient adults.
