FALL RIVER — Mayor Paul Coogan has allowed the application of a Fall River Police Department warrant to identify a Facebook critic to stand, despite a vote from the City Council calling on the city to investigate the matter.
At the March 24 meeting of the City Council, eight councilors approved a resolution to send a letter to city officials calling for an investigation into a warrant obtained by the Fall River Police Department to identify a Facebook user posting comments critical of the FRPD.
Since then, it has been widely reported that Coogan has vetoed the resolution, but Coogan said his executive powers as the city’s chief only allow him to veto Council orders. Rather, Coogan is allowing the recent actions of FRPD to seek a warrant after filing a 14-page affidavit with a court magistrate to continue as intended.
At a March 27 press conference, Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey defended his initial and express opinion delivered to councilors before the March 24 meeting. He said the Council’s resolution to call for an investigation into the validity of the police department seeking a warrant based on probable cause to unmask a Facebook user masquerading under a pseudonym was “wrong.”
“You have to trust the system,” said Rumsey, referring to the judicial branch of city government and the FRPD’s judgement in seeking a warrant. “It worked,” Rumsey said of this scenario.
Corporation counsel Alan Rumsey speaks to reporters at Government Center Friday March 27, 2026.
Why FRPD sought the warrant in the first place
In late 2025, the police department became aware of “a fake Facebook account” posting comments on the official FRPD Facebook page under the pseudonym “Timothy James.”
Critical posts from the fake account allegedly “targeted” a Fall River police officer, and in doing so, identified that officer as being assigned to a Federal Task Force — information that is typically kept private, FRPD said.
“The posts repeatedly harassed the officer,” reads a FRPD statement posted to Facebook on March 20.
FRPD submitted an affidavit to the court, the post states, and obtained a warrant to identify the person behind that Facebook account, citing concerns of “criminal harassment” as outlined in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, section 43A. No criminal charges were filed.
Rumsey and Coogan back the system under which a warrant was obtained
Rumsey, who said he serves “the entire city,” along with Fall River’s best interests, said he believes there is more than one way to identify the critical Facebook user, but that a warrant was one way to do it.
Coogan echoed those sentiments, saying FRPD’s request for a warrant “had merit; it went forward.”
Rumsey confirmed that no councilors came before him to seek legal advice prior to City Council President Cliff Ponte and Councilor Christopher Peckham’s resolution being filed.
Coogan said he is in contact with Attorney General Andrea Campbell on the matter, and is awaiting her response.
Mayor Paul Coogan listens as corporation counsel Alan Rumsey speaks to reporters at Government Center Friday March 27, 2026.
Council resolution calls on mayor to investigate city’s police department
Council President Cliff Ponte and Councilor Christopher Peckham filed the resolution on March 23, the day before the Tuesday night City Council meeting. The measure seeks to exercise council authority, as outlined in section 2-7A in the City Charter, to investigate the “conduct and performance” of any office, department or city agency, including the city’s police department.
The council also voted to place three Fall River police officers on leave, though the council has no authority to do so.
In response, Coogan said, “We have a little bit of a disagreement going on with the City Council, and much of it is illegally based. … I hope we can repair the relationship.”
Coogan indicated at the March 27 conference that members of the Council posed “threats” related to withholding funding other city projects if Coogan would not take action to probe the police’s departmental actions.
Ponte repeated these same sentiments at a separate press conference later the same day.
City Council President Clif Ponte speaks to reporters at Government Center Friday March 27, 2026.
Ponte calls for ‘transparency’ and says Council will move forward with probe
Ponte reacted to Coogan’s and Rumsey’s statements heard earlier in the day and told members of the press that he attempted to find “common ground” with the mayor, but ultimately filed a complaint as a private citizen with the FRPD as a result of the mayor’s unwillingness to support the Council’s vote.
Which, Ponte said, has added confusion to what he feels is “no different” than other scenarios in which the Council held the desire to sniff out any “misconduct” or “abuse of authority” when it comes to city departments.
Additionally, Ponte said he is looking to take a “reasonable and responsible path forward,” which includes raising funds to retain independent legal counsel to help the Council determine two things: firstly, to identify if the Council has a say when it comes time to renew municipal contracts, and secondly, what the Council’s rights are under the current City Charter.
In response to questions related to Ponte’s previous but now broken agreement to purchase local radio station WSAR with business partner and media outlet publisher Mike Silvia, who broke the story of FRPD unlocking the identity of the Facebook user with a warrant, Ponte shook off Coogan’s suggestion that he had influenced the local story, saying, “As if I was walking around with that reporter.”
“The City Council will continue to move forward with this investigation,” he said. “Transparency is not optional in government.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: City mayor won’t investigate police for warrant on Facebook critic
