Bourne Police Chief suspended after leaving unarmed weapon unattended

BOURNE – Bourne Police Chief Brandon Esip has been suspended without pay after reportedly leaving his duty belt with an unloaded firearm in the lobby of the Bourne Police Station for approximately three minutes.

According to a statement from Bourne Town Administrator Marlene McCollem, the incident happened on June 9, 2026, around 2:30 p.m.

The suspension was for five days, with three to be served, two of which were held in abeyance. McCollem said in the statement that the belt did not contain a magazine with ammunition when it was left on a bench in the lobby of the department.

Despite the fact the weapon was not loaded, McCollem determined that it still violated several Bourne Police Department regulations, including sections on keeping weapons in a secured receptable when not being worn, and ensuring the security of their firearms at all times, both on-and-off duty.

Cape Wide News has reached out to Esip for a comment on the suspension.

The letter announcing the discipline noted the unloaded weapon was only left unattended for three minutes. The town administrator also said it was an “unintended mistake” as Esip was “temporarily distracted by another matter needing your attention.”

As part of the investigation, the town hired an outside investigator, Attorney Christopher Brown, of the firm Harrington Heep in Wellesley, who found that leaving the unarmed weapon was a violation of procedure, but was done inadvertently. That report said Esip has just returned from range training.

Brown interviewed the Bourne Police Officer who spotted and secured the unarmed weapon in the lobby. Her name was redacted in Brown’s final report to the town.