“I’ve never looked at the whole city of Boston the same since that night,” he said after hearing of the verdict. “You always hear about these things, the corruption inside police departments, but I thought that was a thing of the past.”

Byrne’s lawyer, however, looked to the future. Libby suggested that with appeals potentially on the horizon, the story which brought together a 23-year police veteran and a junior economics concentrator still has some twists left in it after two years.

“I am very proud of Harry Byrne,” Libby said. “Here’s a man who did not fold when the federal government came after him back in January 2002, and he stood fast in this whole process, including trial where he took the stand in his own vigorous defense...So far as we’re concerned, we’re still looking forward and the case is not over.”

Convincing Twelve

In six days of often-complicated questioning before the jury, both teams of attorneys strove to get witnesses to back up their competing versions of the fateful weekend in 2001.

Several told of Byrne’s arrival outside Davis’ 2021 Commonwealth Ave. apartment the night before Trombly’s arrest, working overtime on a detail sponsored by BC to break up parties and discourage underage drinking.

Trombly and several acquaintances said the sergeant had directed harsh insults at one woman before arresting a number of her BC basketball teammates.

They went on to say that the night of Trombly’s arrest had been interrupted when Byrne showed up outside a second gathering at Davis’ apartment, shouting profanities once again at the same woman.

Byrne, by contrast, insisted that he had spoken to her in a manner that was “stern” but always “fatherly.”

According to the prosecution, Trombly and Davis went to console their friend, now openly weeping. Byrne alleged that a visibly drunk Trombly had then spit on his uniform—a charge which the student said was entirely fabricated.

Once arrested and taken back to the District 14 station house, both sides agreed that Trombly had been brought to a guard room and uncuffed.

Trombly said that at this point Byrne began an obscene tirade and started viciously punching him with no provocation, breaking his jaw.

His account of the beating was substantiated by the testimony of several other BPD officers—speaking under a prosecution subpoena and immunity agreements—who witnessed the assault in part.

Trombly said their honesty on the stand had convinced him that the system was working.

“When four other officers are testifying against an accused officer, I think it’s a good sign—both that he’s guilty and that you can trust the police and the system,” he told The Crimson after the trial.