An autopsy was performed Monday as part of the investigation into the death of a Boston police officer, the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office confirmed Monday, and at this point foul play has not been ruled out.
The officer — later identified by the Boston Police Department as John O'Keefe — was found early Saturday morning outside a Canton home during blizzard-like conditions, the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office said Sunday.
According to the DA's office, O'Keefe appeared to have been in the cold for some period of time before he was found outside a home on Fairview Road. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The autopsy is complete, but officials are not releasing the results at this time, The Boston Globe reported.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
O'Keefe knew the people who lived inside the house where he was found, the DA's office said. Property records show the home on Fairview Road is owned by someone who has the exact same name and middle initial as a veteran Boston police sergeant, though the Boston Police Department would not confirm that. The circumstances of O'Keefe's death are under investigation.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
Boston police released a statement later Sunday, saying it is with "deep regret" that they announce the death of O'Keefe, an active-duty officer.
"O'Keefe was a 16-year veteran of the BPD who served admirably in several assignments during his career," the police department's statement read. "John will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues here at the Boston Police Department as we send our heartfelt condolences to his family, and loved ones during this difficult time."
A Boston Police Department spokesperson told NBC10 Boston that no internal affairs cases have been opened and no one has been placed on administrative leave
Canton police chief Ken Berkowitz commented on O'Keefe's death on Twitter, saying, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased officer, his family and the entire Boston Police Department."
Berkowitz also directed all inquiries to the district attorney's office.
On Saturday, Boston and other parts of the state were in the thick of a blizzard, with winds gusting to more than 80 mph in some parts of Massachusetts and snow piling up across the Bay State.
No other information was immediately available.
