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

The family of Boston police officer John O’Keefe has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Karen Read , days after a judge refused to dismiss charges against her.

The Aug. 26 filing obtained by Court TV lists Karen Read, Waterfall Bar & Grille and C.F. McCarthy’s as defendants and demands a trial by jury.

Karen Read sits with her legal team team in court, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Dedham, Mass.  (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool)

The lawsuit details Read’s actions the night of O’Keefe’s death, including that C.F. McCarthy’s served her seven drinks and allowed her to leave the establishment with an alcoholic beverage. From there, it claims Waterfall Bar & Grille served Read even though she showed signs of intoxication.

The filing also accuses Read of knowingly hitting O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving him to die. It also details Read’s actions on Jan. 29, including going to “the grieving house of (O’Keefe’s family), feigned comfort to (O’Keefe’s family), and used the opportunity to, amongst other things, remove the offending weapon, her vehicle, and/or destroy relevant evidence.”

The plaintiffs, including O’Keefe’s niece, claim the restaurants and Read inflicted emotional distress by causing O’Keefe’s death.

In July, Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial in the case against Read after the jury insisted they couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict. Read was charged with second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of a collision causing injury or death.

In the weeks following, the defense filed multiple motions claiming they were contacted by jurors who insisted they had agreed to unanimously find Read not guilty of murder and leaving the scene of a deadly crash. Even the prosecution filed a notice with the court saying that people presenting themselves as jurors had told them the same thing.

Following a hearing earlier this month , Cannone refused to dismiss charges against Read, setting the case to move forward for a retrial in January.