Day 2 - April 30, 2024

Defense counsel questioned Officer Steven Saraf about discrepancies in the dispatch log's arrival order, times, and address, and about an incorrect address in his grand-jury testimony. Saraf agreed that his initial report and next-day interview with Trooper Proctor attributed only "is he dead" to Karen Read, while a later grand-jury account included additional statements that he said he had omitted by oversight. The defense played Saraf's dash-camera video; Saraf said he could not understand the disputed audio. He also agreed that a person appeared to walk toward the house, that witnesses should be separated to prevent collaboration, and that he did not hear Read say "I hit him." The court directed counsel to obtain permission before replaying video and to show the next clip once.

Officer Steven Saraf explained that dispatch personnel first send needed emergency resources before completing call-entry details. He reaffirmed that his testimony reflected his memory of the scene, said he did not know Kerry Roberts, Karen Read, John O'Keefe, or Jennifer McCabe before the call, and said he saw no one come outside from 34 Fairview Road or elsewhere on the street while he was there.

Officer Stephen Mullaney described responding to 34 Fairview Road in heavy snow and darkness, seeing John O'Keefe on the front lawn, and assisting firefighters in moving him to a stretcher. Mullaney also described Ms. Read as screaming and distraught, and said Canton control later advised officers that she was making suicidal statements.

Mullaney confirmed that he was the junior Canton officer, did not know which woman was performing CPR, and observed Karen Read from as close as about 10 feet without noticing blood on her face or hair. He described Read as screaming and distraught but said Jennifer McCabe was calm during their face-to-face conversation. Mullaney said he did not hear Read make the three statements put to him by defense counsel; he also recalled a handheld leaf blower used on the front lawn and did not see broken plastic.

Mullaney agreed that people at scenes involving an injured or deceased person do not all react alike. He confirmed that Jennifer McCabe, Ms. Read, and Kerry Roberts were present; said he saw no blood on Roberts's face or hair and did not see her screaming, yelling, or moving around the scene; and said he saw no one enter or leave 34 Fairview Road or come outside elsewhere on the street while he was there.

Defense counsel asked Officer Mullaney whether any other neighbor on the street had a dead police officer on their front lawn. The Commonwealth objected, the court sustained the objection, and Mullaney was excused before the morning recess.

Paramedic Timothy Nuttall described responding in snowy, dark conditions to a report of an unresponsive male at 34 Fairview Road. He testified that John O'Keefe was supine in the snow without a pulse or breathing, that responders began CPR and ventilation, and that later observations included a forehead hematoma, scratches on the right arm, and material in the airway. Nuttall also testified that an unidentified individual repeatedly said, “I hit him,” while he was providing care. The court admitted the patient care report as Exhibit No. 160.

Defense counsel questioned paramedic Tim Nuttall about his observations of John O'Keefe's clothing and injuries, eliciting that his memory of the clothing might be faulty and that some injuries may not have been observable. After the court sustained objections and allowed further causation questioning on a proper foundation, Nuttall said a hematoma could have several causes and declined to say whether the injuries were consistent with a fight. Counsel also compared Nuttall's trial account of hearing "I hit him" with his February 8 statement to Trooper Proctor; Nuttall acknowledged he did not fully remember that meeting and agreed his memory of the time frame was faulty. He testified that he had not reported the statement to hospital staff, Canton Police, or Massachusetts State Police before the Proctor interview.

On redirect, paramedic Tim Nuttall said the injuries he observed on Mr. O'Keefe could have many possible causes and were not typically limited to a physical altercation. He also clarified that, after asking whether the person was known, he recalled hearing repeated statements of "I hit him" while patient care took priority.