The Boston Globe writes:

While Soto returned fire and Bruzzese protected Bethell, the unarmed Franklin fled the scene, according to testimony and police reports. Franklin's service weapon was inside Soto's truck, unsecured, a felony under state law.

So, he hasn't been charged because...why exactly? And why hasn't he been charged with interfering with a police officer (he ordered the first responder to drive him home), or making false statements to a police officer? (he lied to the officer who gave him a ride home, and the State Police investigators both about how he got home, and not having been at the scene.)

Apparently it's not the first time Franklin has high-tailed it from a crime scene.

People hate what they fear

T safest in a decade??

Are these MBTA people for real?

The MBTA is nearly doubling the number of cash machines within its subway stations - and the cash-strapped transit agency will pick up an extra $226,400 a year in the process.

The T’s board of directors yesterday OK’d going ahead with leases with Bank of America, TD Banknorth and Select A Branch Inc., to put a total of 19 ATMs in stations, up from 10 that were previously provided by Citizens Bank under a prior contract.

Bank of America won with a $30,000 bid the right to place just one ATM in the busy Park Street station.

The JP police held their annual state of the district meeting last night. Abby attended and reports what went down.

Carpundit is walking home yesterday when he sees a seemingly empty Boston police cruiser in front of DeLuca's. Only it isn't:

... When I got close enough, I saw that the officer was in the car - sound asleep. The window was down, the car running, and he was slumped slightly to the right, head on chest, drooling just a little. This was in broad daylight, at commuter time, in front of a popular market. I went inside to buy my wine (and, I confess, a little goat cheese with garlic and herbs along with some Carr's crackers), chuckling.

When I came out, he was still there. What to do?

Naturally, being a man of action (and a former cop himself), Carpundit springs into action and actually does something (after first cursing himself for not having remembered to bring his digital camera with him).

You can read the entire Stern Commission report on Victoria Snelgrove's death.

Carpundit reads about the report and concludes two factors in particular contributed:

... Robert O'Toole was a hothead who shouldn't have been in that supervisory position that night; and the FN303 is a deadly force weapon that should not be used in crowd control. ...