Family members of a 15-year-old boy killed in a Dorchester crash that followed a Boston police pursuit have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city, state and several officers involved.
The suit, filed last week in Suffolk Superior Court, names the parents of Troy Winslow — Jessica Adams and Tony Lee Winslow — as plaintiffs. They are seeking $30 million in damages in connection with the Jan. 4, 2024, crash that left three teenagers dead and another severely injured.
Defendants include former Boston police officer Triston Champagnie, who resigned in August 2025, along with officers Matthew Farley and Chardeeza Coleman. The Boston Police Department, the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are also listed as defendants.
The crash occurred last year after Champagnie and Farley attempted to stop a silver Hyundai in Mattapan around 3 a.m. Police said the car was stolen and possibly connected to other criminal activity. Winslow was a passenger along with two other boys aged 14 and 15. A 17-year-old Roslindale boy was driving the car.
The lawsuit says Winslow, a freshman at Madison Park High School, accepted a ride home from two friends and an acquaintance after he had spent the night visiting a cousin at a nearby homeless shelter.
The Hyundai fled as officers approached, prompting Champagnie and Farley to pursue the vehicle.
The lawsuit says Champagnie and Farley ignored orders from a supervisor to terminate the pursuit.
Moments later, the Hyundai rolled over on Morrissey Boulevard, killing Winslow and two of the other occupants.
The lawsuit says Champagnie and Farley stated they believed the vehicle was stolen because all four occupants were wearing balaclavas to cover their faces, but none of the boys were wearing masks when they were ejected from the vehicle, and no masks were collected at the scene.
“The officers lacked any legal justification for the traffic stop,” the lawsuit says. “More likely, officers either knew the identities of the occupants or made judgments about their activities based on their youth, skin color, and the neighborhood they were located in.”
It also claims Champagnie and Farley misled a superior by saying they had ended the pursuit, despite reaching speeds in excess of 90 mph in violation of department policy. The suit says Champagnie responded to a superior with “Correct, not pursuing,” while local street cameras show the unmarked police cruiser actively pursuing the Hyundai through red lights.
According to The Boston Globe, an internal investigation into the incident conducted by the Boston Police Department found that Champagnie and Farley lied to supervisors about discontinuing the pursuit.
“The officers’ individual actions demonstrate blatant disregard for both human life and orders of a superior officer,” the lawsuit says.
