Island police are investigating an alleged sexual assault that occurred in the state police barracks in Oak Bluffs this summer.
In late August, Oak Bluffs police responded to a report of a woman in distress, the department wrote in a statement Thursday. Police later learned that the reported assault allegedly took place in the barracks on Temahigan Road, where troopers stationed on the Vineyard reside.
The victim alleged that they were assaulted in the barracks by someone who was visiting a trooper working on the Island for the summer season.
“At the end of August, the Massachusetts State Police became aware of a reported sexual assault involving two people not affiliated with the Department,” a state police spokesperson wrote to the Gazette. “We are fully cooperating with the local police’s investigation into the matter and remain committed to pursuing justice in every sexual assault case.”
While Oak Bluffs police investigate for potential criminal charges, state police are conducting their own internal investigation into the incident. Oak Bluffs police made it clear Thursday that the two investigations are separate and independent of one another.
“The Massachusetts State Police has had no involvement in the Oak Bluffs Police Department’s investigation,” the town department wrote in its statement.
Oak Bluffs police applied for and received a court-authorized search warrant for the investigation, including warrants to go through the state police barracks, Oak Bluffs police wrote.
“The Oak Bluffs Police Department takes allegations of sexual assault extremely seriously. Our investigators have followed the facts and evidence in this case, and we will continue to conduct this investigation thoroughly and independently,” the department wrote.
Both Oak Bluffs and state police declined to comment further given the ongoing investigation.
This article appears in September 11, 2026.
Despicable!
To close to home