LEOMINSTER, Mass. — They roared up Litchfield Street, two by two -- hundreds of motorcycles headed to the Leominster Eagles Post 477 on Sunday. The occasion: a fundraiser for Matthew Tidman, the corrections officer beaten by an inmate last summer.
Tidman, who worked at MCI-Shirley, was supervising inmates on August 31 in the recreation area of the prison, when his accused assailant, Roy L. Booth, Jr., struck him with a metal pole.
Tidman suffered injuries that were, at the time, considered life-threatening. He continues to recover at Lahey Medical Center in Burlington.
Organizers of the fundraiser hoped to make some progress in helping Tidman’s family cover expenses -- and the event drew a packed house.
“He’s progressing,” said his father, John. “Little Baby steps. But it’s a forward motion, so we count it as progress.”
“Totally heartened, overwhelming,” said John Tidman. “My hopes are that the solidarity that’s been displayed here and the community outreach efforts of positive thinking and love will keep spreading -- and will help all the corrections officers and especially Matthew.”
Though the assault happened more than a month ago, some are still questioning how Booth, convicted of murder in Virginia -- and serving a life sentence -- could have been assigned to MCI-Shirley, which normally houses minimum to medium risk inmates. John Tidman said he did worry about his son’s safety at work -- but at least took comfort in knowing the facility didn’t (or shouldn’t) be housing the most violent offenders.
“Because we would hope that (in a) minimum/medium (facility) that the prisoners would have something to lose,” he said. “And that they could be rehabilitated. Matthew believed in that also.”
Tidman said it seems things have now changed.
“I think about the corrections officers that are still working, and I’m hoping that those conditions can change so that they don’t have the endangerment that Matthew did,” he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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