Police officer fired after directing slur at Crawford

The Massachusetts police officer accused of directing a racial slur at Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford earlier this month was fired Thursday for those actions, according to The Associated Press.

Veteran patrol officer John A. Perrault, 38, was dismissed from his position by Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella at the recommendation of police chief Robert Healey. According to the report, Healey said Perrault had used racial slurs on at least two other occasions.

Perrault had been placed on paid administrative leave last Wednesday after an internal police investigation determined he directed a racial slur toward Crawford on July 6 during a Minor League game in Manchester, N.H.

Crawford was signing autographs prior to a rehab game with Double-A Portland against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats when the alleged incident took place. The Red Sox left fielder, who has since returned to the big league club, received apologies from Perrault, Leominster town officials and the Fisher Cats organization in the event's aftermath.

"It surprised me he was a police officer, it's disappointing," Crawford said last week after Perrault was placed on leave. "But I just want to put that stuff behind me and not even worry about that anymore. I don't really know how I feel about that. It's just disappointing that it had to happen. It's just one of those things you have to let go.

"You would think as a nation we would have grown past that kind of stuff, so it's one of those things where hopefully that's the last time something like that happens."