Slain Boston police officer's funeral arrangements made in his hometown, Braintree

BRAINTREE — Funeral arrangements have been made for the Boston police officer who was found dead outside a Canton home last week.

Officer John O'Keefe, 46, was raised in Braintree and lived in Canton at the time of his death. A Mansfield woman has been charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision causing death in connection to O'Keefe.

Visiting hours for O'Keefe are scheduled from 3-7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6 at the St. Francis of Assisi Church, 850 Washington St., Braintree, according to his obituary. A Mass will be celebrated for him at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 7 at the same church. His burial will follow in Blue Hill Cemetery in Braintree, with arrangements made by the Cartwright-Venuti Funeral Home.

O'Keefe served as a BPD officer for 16 years after earning his master's degree in criminal justice from the University of Massachusetts. He is a Braintree High School graduate.

Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief Gregory Long said the department is supporting O'Keefe's family, and Boston Police Peer Support will be available to assist department members in need of emotional help.

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"John was a kind person, dedicated to his family, and will be greatly missed by his coworkers and anyone who had the privilege of meeting him," Long said in a statement.

Manslaughter charges

Karen Read, 41, of Mansfield, was arrested by State police homicide detectives Tuesday night and had a cash bail of $50,000 set on Wednesday. She posted the bail before noon that day and is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing on March 1.

Officers say Read drove with O'Keefe around midnight on Jan. 29 around the Fairview Road area in Canton. 

O'Keefe was later found unresponsive outside a Canton home and taken to a Brockton medical center, where he was pronounced dead hours later.

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Reach Alex Weliever at aweliever@patriotledger.com.