Lawrence v. City of Cambridge

John T. Lawrence, the plaintiff, brought an action in negligence against the city of Cambridge claiming that its police department did not fulfil its promise to protect him. A Superior Court judge dismissed the plaintiff’s complaint, reasoning that the promise by the city’s police department was not specific enough to satisfy the exception to the public duty rule stated in G. L. c. 258, § 10 (j) (1) (1994 ed.). The plaintiff appealed. We transferred the case to this court on our own motion and now reverse.

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Although the city had submitted a motion to dismiss, the judge indicated in his…