On September 21st, 2024 in Springfield,
Massachusetts, officers investigate a
vehicle parked at a casino with a
missing tire and a completely destroyed
rim. They then get the surprise of their
careers as they find out who the car
belongs to.
[Music]
Nicholas Coochi is the sheriff of
Hampton County, Massachusetts, which is
where the city of Springfield is
located. The officers are able to get
the sheriff to come out of the casino.
so they can investigate. However, the
sheriff won't make it easy for them. How
you doing, Sheriff? Good. Very good.
Good. Hi, Lieutenant Cory Mackey. Was
that who's busting what? Change his
tire. Okay, just to let you know, we
came down to this. Uh, we are recording,
just so you know. Uh, what happens?
I was going around the tires. Do you
know where? We're trying to We're
looking to see where you were in the
casino and everything. And it's all
good. It's all good. Change the tire.
Okay. Okay. All right. The problem is,
hang on for a second. Were you the one
driving it? No. You weren't driving it?
No. Okay. Who was driving you? A friend
of mine. A friend of yours? He's in the
casino now? Yeah. Okay. We'll see that,
too. All right. But I need you to stay
here for a second. All right. Sir, none
of us wants to be involved in this. All
right. But I can I can I can smell I can
smell alcohol coming from your breath.
I've got this right here. Everything's
on camera. I got to take it by the
numbers. Change the tire. I got to take
it by the numbers. We're going to
review. If your friend in there was
driving today, we'll see it on the
camera. I can go talk to him. Everything
will be good. All right. What's that?
Okay. It's a
tight. All
right. Seriously? Okay. I'll tell you
what. Leave the car here. Leave it.
Nope. Sir, I Sir, I'm going to ask you
to stay here. Stay put. All right. Why?
So we figure this out because based on
what I'm seeing here and and and
smelling alcohol under your breath, I'm
going to have to do an investigation
through this. Okay.
All right. And if everything is fine,
you know, if if if it determines that
there's no change the tire. No, he's not
changing the tire right now. Absolutely
not. Change the tire. He's not changing
the tire yet. Yeah.
Okay.
Want to go down a road, huh? Okay. I
want to take everything right by the
numbers and by the book, sir.
Okay. By the numbers and by the book,
sir. That's what we do. That's correct.
Yeah. It's clear by the sheriff's body
language that he is likely secretly
signaling for his lieutenant to
deactivate his body camera, which the
lieutenant refuses to do. And if at the
end of it, everything is good. Stop for
sir. Sir, just stand over here for me.
All right, please. I'm going to go back
in the No, you're not going back in the
casino. All right, sir. Sir. Sheriff, I
understand you are the sheriff. I
respect that immensely. Right now, I'm
conducting an investigation. Okay. I
need you to stay here and follow the
directions. Okay. All right.
You can't pop the tire, huh? What's
that? You can't pop a tire. You're not
going to be able to put a tire on that
rim anyways. That rim is completely and
utterly destroyed. I got my guy. Okay,
sir. Okay. Where uh do you know where
you ran something over? Where was it?
Right up on the corner. And I I took the
turn. Took the turn into here. Okay.
There it looks like there's a plant on
there. Was there a plant that might have
been? Might have been. But that's where
it was that the remnants of the tire
should be down. Should be down that way.
You don't know? I have no idea.
Okay. Can I ask you where you're coming
from today?
Springfield Country Club. Springfield
Country Club. Yeah. All
right. The golf
tournament. No, no, no. We were just
there. Was there playing golf? They're
playing golf. Okay. Yeah.
What are you waiting? I'm waiting for
another another one of my supervisors.
We can have two people here. Okay. Good.
All right. That way everything's
everything's recorded, everything.
Everything's going to be nice and easy.
Okay, sir. All
right. Officer
Cotto, can you head down to the corner
at East Columbus and just see if there's
any remnants of the tire there? That's
where that's where you were and there
was nothing there. Right. Right. May not
be may not be where you hit it. That's
where I hit it, but Okay. Did you after
turning in here and and hitting it, did
you drive anywhere else where we could
find the tire? No. No. So, okay. The
tire should be somewhere between where
that was hit and here. Okay. You just do
me a favor one more time. Just walk down
there and then walk the whole way back
to see if we can find the tire.
Appreciate your understanding. You're a
good man. I appreciate your
understanding. Yeah.
Someone coming over
from going to take a walk over where
we're a little bit out of sight. Okay.
No. How much you had to drink tonight,
sir? Couple beers. Couple beers. Yeah.
Keep recording me. We're not going
nowhere.
Okay. I'd like to ask you to do field
sobriety. Nope. Not going to not going
to
happen. I'm not driving. Yeah. Feel so
soriety for what? All right. What's
that? Okay. Well, you drove
in. That was long time
ago. What's up,
Nikki? I'm by my car. All right. Bye.
Sir, when you went into the casino, did
you have any drinks in the casino? You
did not have any drinks in the casino.
Cuz that's what we're waiting on right
now. We're trying to figure out if you
went in and had anything inside. You had
nothing inside. So, anything was at the
golf course? Yep. Okay. All right. All
right. Sure. Can you come over here? I
want to talk to you a little bit more.
All
right. I'd like you I'm going to be very
straightforward with you. All right. You
came from East Columbus. You turned in
here. We can't find the tire. That's
fine. There's clear indications that
that rim is pretty destroyed. Yeah.
Okay. Okay. Um you got here about 6:40
something 6:45. So maybe 25 25 minutes
before you and I started interacting
somewhere around a half hour. You've got
clear indications of alcohol
consumption%. All right. I can tell that
you're Yep. You've had mid alcohol. You
got your speech a little bit slurred.
All right. I can smell it coming off
your breath. I can see the redness in
your eyes. I'd ask you to be I'm going
to ask you a second time if you will
perform field soiety so I can determine
if you are safe to drive. Okay. I have a
PBT that can short this out right now.
Not going to happen. Okay. So, you're
going to refuse field soiety. All right.
You're not going to take the BBT. You're
mid alcohol consumption. All right. A
little bit driving. Okay.
Okay. If that's what you're All right.
Well, that assume then at that point.
While the body cam footage is redacted,
this is when the sheriff's official
arrest takes place. The body cam resumes
right after the sheriff is placed in
handcuffs.
Your wallet's inside the car. We're
going to go ahead and grab that for you.
Okay. All right. Officer, can you take
Can you just sit with him for a minute?
I'll take him and Mike Cruiser. All
right. Very good.
So, this is your wallet right here. All
right. All I'm going to do is I'm going
to put it in your pocket so you have it
with you. Is there a phone somewhere
that you'd like to bring? Uh, in my
pocket. Yep. In your pocket. All right.
Can I put this pen in your vehicle so we
don't have to take
it? All right. So, you got your wallet
over
here. This is your phone right in the
back.
Right. This is just a a golf tea. I'm
going to put that right in here as well.
Okay.
All right. We're going to walk down to
my MRA. Uh Sergeant, I'm going have you
come with me as well. All right. Say to
let him fix it.
No. If they're if they're if they're
able to fix it. Okay. We don't need to
we don't need to tow tow a county
vehicle. if there if he's able to fix it
and we can get somebody who is properly
can drive it. All right, the keys are
inside there for a
sec. Sir, the keys are right in the
middle. Uh there's also a $50 bill. Do
you want me to leave that in there?
Yeah. Or do you want it with you? You're
comfortable. Who do you want to take
possession of that vehicle? Is it okay
you're that gentleman right there works
for you? He does. and they can arrange
for someone to take it. Yep, that's
fine. We can get out of here properly.
That's fine. Right. Come on down. It's
going to be the black SUV at the very
end. We're going to go right around and
put you in the front passenger seat. All
right. I think I have a jacket on
there. Just make sure. Nope. Nothing's
there. It's actually
pink. Oh, careful.
[Music]
You just Yeah, you can move anything
over there. Just ride with me.
After a very awkward car ride, the
sheriff is transported to the police
station to continue with his booking
process. Later that night, the
lieutenant returns to the area
surrounding the casino as damage to a
vehicle and scratch marks on the road
were found that could be related to this
incident. We are trying to backtrack the
path of the vehicle involved in the
incident this evening. We did come
across a vehicle with scrapes on it that
does appear fresh. However, it has both
white and hints of red to it. In the
center line of the road, there are
scrapes that appear consistent. Also,
with the tire rim that we view up ahead,
we're going to walk up looking at those
scrapes as well. More scrapes in the
middle of the roadway. consistent with
path. More scrapes in the middle of the
roadway, consistent with path.
If these scrapes lead to the location
where they found the sheriff's vehicle,
officers can be certain that this damage
was caused by the sheriff himself and
may also be able to develop probable
cause for leaving the scene of a crash.
[Music]
The sheriff was charged with operating a
vehicle under the influence. It's
unknown why the prosecutor did not seek
a separate charge for leaving the scene
of a crash. However, we are the first
news organization to report on it. A
local news network provides interesting
insight into Sheriff Coochis's response
to this incident. Hamn County Sheriff
Nick Coochi freely admits Saturday,
September 21st, was not a good day for
him. He was arrested outside MGM
Springfield for driving while
intoxicated and subsequently suspended
for several days without pay. Feel very
blessed as the sheriff of Hampton
County, but more importantly as the
person, Nick Coochi. Uh there's no
question 6 weeks ago was not one of my
finest moments. Coochi immediately took
ownership for that behavior. Leaving
court after his arraignment in late
September, he pulled no punches,
pointing the finger squarely at himself.
So today, I take full
responsibility for what happened this
past Saturday. Now, some 46 days later,
and after paying nearly $2,500 to cover
the cost of repair to the state vehicle
he was driving at the time, the sheriff
is humbled by the outpouring of support
and understanding from the community and
says he won't let them down again. And
if there's a day that comes up and you
don't show your best version, well,
tomorrow you wake up and you make sure
your version's better. And uh that's a
lesson that I'm going to I've kept with
me my entire life. And it's one that has
really helped me over the last six weeks
uh continue to show who Nick Coochi is.
Never mind the sheriff part. Who am I as
a person? Coochi in his second six-year
term as sheriff says he's resilient,
strong, compassionate, and most of all
coming out of this experience a better
person. Good people can make a bad
decision. Let's not judge them on their
bad decision. Let's judge them on who
they are and how they respond to what
they've done. After his arraignment,
Sheriff Coochi was given a continuence
without a finding of guilt for one year,
meaning his charge will be dismissed if
he avoids further legal trouble during
that period. His driver's license was
also temporarily suspended, and he was
required to attend an OUI education
program. As of April 2025, there are no
reports indicating Coochi has
encountered further legal trouble. In
fact, in January 2025, he was appointed
vice president of the Massachusetts
Sheriff's Association. Let us know your
thoughts about this incident in the
comments below. And if you think the
prosecutor should have also charged him
with leaving the scene of a crash. Now,
it is unsettling when society sees the
one that's supposed to uphold the law
become the suspect. And during my time
as a cop, I've had the unfortunate
experience of seeing some police
officers on the other side of the law,
and some of them never recover. In
today's footage, we see police
investigating a damaged vehicle parked
outside of a casino. Normal police call,
right? But it's who this vehicle
belonged to that changed this entire
ordeal because this car belonged to
Sheriff Nicholas Coochi of Hampton
County in Massachusetts. And as he comes
outside and begins conversing with the
lieutenant, at first the sheriff states
that he pulled around the corner and
popped the tire. But then he tells the
lieutenant that he wasn't driving. And
FYI, in these situations, from what I've
witnessed, when a law enforcement
officer is a suspect in an
investigation, an officer of a higher
rank will usually have to respond. And
the sheriff does appear intoxicated. And
we all did see the sheriff's behavior
change after he realized the lieutenant
was going to handle this call correctly
just as he should have. And in the
Philadelphia Police Department
disciplinary code, it does state that
it's a privilege to serve in the law
enforcement community. And we have to
remember that. And although the sheriff
didn't verbally ask the lieutenant to
turn the camera off, his movements were
definitely questionable. And then the
sheriff actually refused the field
sobriety test twice, but honestly, I
wasn't shocked. Then they actually
placed the sheriff under arrest. Each
department does have specific reasons
why body camera footage would be
redacted, and that likely was the case
here. And lastly, no officer gets
pleasure from arresting one of their own
because it's awkward and it's
embarrassing. And should the sheriff
have been arrested for leaving the scene
of an accident? Maybe. But one thing's
for certain, when it was all said and
done, he did take responsibility. But my
hope is that he truly learned from this
bad decision.