A corrections officer at the Billerica House of Correction has been indicted on charges that he assaulted a man held in a cell there and then wrote a false report blaming the man for it. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced the indictment of Alexander Tine on Friday, September 25, 2026.
Tine is charged with two counts of assault and battery and one count of filing a false report. He is presumed innocent. No arraignment date has been reported.
What the district attorney alleges
According to Ryan’s office, as reported by WCVB, MassLive and the Fall River Reporter, the incident happened on June 29, 2026, during Tine’s shift:
- The man in the cell had put his feet and an arm through the handcuff port, the small opening in a cell door used to cuff a person before the door is opened.
- Tine approached the cell and appeared to speak with him. About seven seconds later, prosecutors say, Tine “lifted his right leg and forcefully pushed the victim’s foot through the port.”
- The man then put his arm into the opening. Tine allegedly grabbed the port door with his left hand and tried to close it on the arm. When the arm kept the door from closing, prosecutors say he struck the door repeatedly with his right knee. After two or three strikes the man pulled his arm back and the door closed.
- Afterward, prosecutors say, Tine submitted a written report stating that the man was “grabbing, hitting, and spitting at him.” Ryan’s office said that account “was not supported by the evidence.”
The district attorney’s office has not described what that evidence is. The second-by-second timing in the account (“approximately seven seconds later,” “approximately 2-3 strikes”) is the kind of detail that usually comes from video, but the office has not said so, and no video has been released. The man in the cell has not been named, and the office has not said whether he was hurt.
The charges and what they carry
Assault and battery, G.L. c. 265, § 13A. The basic offense is punishable by up to two and a half years in a house of correction or a fine of up to $1,000. Tine is charged with two counts. The district attorney’s office has not said which act each count covers.
False report by a public employee, G.L. c. 268, § 6A. This is the charge that separates this case from an ordinary assault case. The statute reads:
“Whoever, being an officer or employee of the commonwealth or of any political subdivision thereof or of any authority created by the general court, in the course of his official duties executes, files or publishes any false written report, minutes or statement, knowing the same to be false in a material matter, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.”
To convict, the Commonwealth has to prove the report was written in the course of official duties, that it was false in a material matter, and that Tine knew it was false. A use-of-force report that describes the other person as the aggressor goes to the heart of whether the force was justified.
Why the false report charge matters beyond this case: in a jail, the officer’s written report is often the only account that reaches a supervisor, a disciplinary hearing or a court. A report that says the prisoner attacked first can lead to discipline or new charges against the prisoner.
Is a jail corrections officer covered by the POST Commission?
Not by the plain terms of the statute. The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission certifies and can decertify “law enforcement officers” under G.L. c. 6E. The definition in c. 6E, § 1 covers officers of a law enforcement agency, special state police officers, and special sheriffs and deputy sheriffs “performing police duties and functions,” among others. It does not name corrections officers working inside a jail or house of correction.
That means the POST decertification path used for police officers, such as the former Lynn officer indicted this week for unreasonable force, does not automatically apply here. Discipline for a sheriff’s corrections officer runs through the sheriff’s office as employer. The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, which runs the Billerica House of Correction, has not commented publicly on Tine’s employment status in the reports we reviewed.
What happens next
- Arraignment in Middlesex Superior Court. A grand jury indictment sends the case to Superior Court. The date has not been announced.
- Discovery. Whatever evidence contradicted the report, video or witnesses, will be turned over to the defense.
- Employment. Whether Tine is on leave or still working has not been reported.
Tine is presumed innocent, and the facts above are allegations from the district attorney’s office.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Billerica corrections officer charged with?
Alexander Tine, a corrections officer at the Billerica House of Correction, was indicted on two counts of assault and battery and one count of filing a false report, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced September 25, 2026. He is presumed innocent.
What is the penalty for filing a false report as a public employee in Massachusetts?
Under G.L. c. 268, section 6A, a public officer or employee who knowingly files a written report that is false in a material matter faces a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in jail, or both.
What is a handcuff port?
A small opening in a cell door that lets staff handcuff a person before the door is opened. According to prosecutors, the man in the cell had put his feet and arm through the port when the incident began.
Are Massachusetts corrections officers certified by the POST Commission?
The definition of law enforcement officer in G.L. c. 6E, section 1 covers police officers and deputy sheriffs performing police duties and functions. It does not name corrections officers working inside a jail, so discipline generally runs through the sheriff’s office that employs them.
Sources: Allegations from the Middlesex District Attorney’s office as reported by WCVB, MassLive and the Fall River Reporter, September 25 to 27, 2026. The indictment itself was not available for review. Statutory text of G.L. c. 265, section 13A; G.L. c. 268, section 6A; and G.L. c. 6E, section 1 read at malegislature.gov. General information about Massachusetts law, not legal advice.