Connecticut Police Abuse and Police Brutality

He also allegedly intimidated a 56-year-old man he summoned to the police post by placing a gun and five bullets on the desk in front of him.

According to the police, nearby residents of the police box called the police Jan. 12 to say the officer was uttering nonsensical remarks and walking around screaming.

The police interviewed him on Jan. 13 and concluded there was nothing wrong with him. The police said it was regrettable that another incident involving the officer took place after that.

01/21/2006 - WATERBURY -- A Woodbury police officer arrested on allegations he possessed 29,400 images of child pornography on his home computer will be charged with downloading and sharing the photos with others, a prosecutor said Friday.

Terence Mariani, a senior assistant state's attorney, said veteran officer Terrence Langin will face felony charges of importing and exporting the images at Langin's next pretrial hearing, scheduled for Feb. 3 at Superior Court.

Langin was allegedly downloading images from various Web sites and receiving and sharing some images with various people he met online, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. The warrant did not give specific names of other people involved, nor did it name specific Web sites containing child pornography that Langin allegedly visited.

"Other aspects of that case are still under investigation," Mariani said Friday afternoon.

Langin, 52, was arrested Dec. 14 at his Oakville home and charged with first-degree possession of child pornography, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Those accused of importing and exporting the images could face the same punishment.

Langin appeared briefly in court for a pretrial hearing Friday afternoon. He wore a beige jumpsuit and his hands were cuffed in front of him. Four members of his family attended.

Upon the request of Langin's attorney, Fanol Bojka of Waterbury, Waterbury Superior Court Judge Frank Iannotti removed a suicide watch for Langin, who is being held at the New Haven Correctional Center. Prisoners incarcerated on a suicide watch undergo constant monitoring, with cameras trained on them 24 hours a day.

"I have spoken with him on many occasions and he seems to be in better spirits than he was," said Bojka, who added that Langin's wife of 21 years asked that the suicide watch be lifted.

Iannotti asked Langin three times if he agreed to have the suicide watch lifted and Langin said, "Yes sir" every time. Those were the only words he uttered during his appearance.

Iannotti said he would not discuss lowering Langin's $350,000 bond until Feb. 3.

State police spokesman J. Paul Vance said the state police Computer Crimes Unit is still investigating the case.

He said detectives will make a list of all possible charges after they fully examine the computer hard drives seized from Langin's house.

State police will then turn the list of charges over to the state's attorney's office, which can request a judge to sign a warrant for the person's arrest.

"We are still in the process of investigating, and we think we're getting pretty close to closing that case," Vance said.

At Langin's last court appearance, Jan. 4, prosecutors said they may ask Langin to take a lie-detector test before they agree to lower his bond. That issue was not brought up again Friday.

Langin was suspended from the Woodbury police force without pay in December, but his wife and 17-year-old son continue to receive medical benefits from the town.

01/10/2006 - TORRINGTON -- A city police officer’s actions during a melee Saturday morning are under review while four men face multiple criminal charges resulting from the incident.

Police Chief Robert Milano will look into a complaint alleging an officer used too much force to diffuse an altercation outside Memories on Main Bar & Grille early Saturday morning.

"We will look into it at the appropriate degree," Milano said Monday. "We are always willing to examine our actions."

Four people were arrested after refusing to disperse in front of Memories on Main Bar & Grille, 7 Water St., around 2 a.m. Saturday morning, according to the police report.

Brian Piekos, 21, of 381 Marshall Lake Road, Jonathan Centrella, 22, of 371 Cardinal Circle, Thomas Giani, 28, of 426 Main St., and Terry Hill, 25, of 347 Main St., were charged with first-degree criminal trespass, breach of peace and interfering with a police officer, police Lt. Wayne Newkirk said. Centrella was also charged with third-degree criminal mischief.

Police responded at 1:47 a.m. to a disturbance outside of the bar, which had already closed, and asked the four men to disperse, Newkirk said.

"They were refusing to leave," Newkirk said. "(The officer) gave them the order to leave."

Torrington Police Officer Robert Guida tried to place one of the men under arrest, and when the man resisted, the three others got involved, Newkirk said.

During the incident, a window in the front of the bar was damaged, Newkirk said.

"I was counting (the register) out," Memories on Main owner Mike Barbero said. "I heard the glass break and saw the officer handcuffing a kid on the ground."

Barbero said the four did not cause any trouble inside the bar, and left when the bar closed.

"I don’t know what led up to (the trouble outside)," Barbero said. "I didn’t see it myself."

Police received an anonymous complaint Sunday alleging the officer was too aggressive during the incident.

"I watched as a police officer threw a man into a newspaper box then through a window," the complaint stated.

The complaint alleges that the officer should have waited for backup before acting harshly with the people involved.

"This first officer was strictly out of line," according to the complaint.

Barbero said other patrons leaving the bar told him the officer was using too much force.

Milano said, based on the information he has, that the officers had to act quickly to diffuse the situation, and acted appropriately.

"He had no choice," Milano said. "(From the information I have) we did what we had to do."

An internal investigation into the incident has not yet been initiated, Milano said.

"We will examine our actions," Milano said.

Bail was set for three of the men at $1,000 and $2,500 for Centrella with a scheduled court date at Bantam Superior Court on Jan. 17, according to the police report.

No matter what happens now, Barbero just wants the window fixed.

"All I know is my window is broken," Barbero said. "The police are paying for it."

01/05/2006 - WATERBURY -- Prosecutors may ask a Woodbury police officer jailed on child pornography charges to take a lie-detector test before they agree to have his bond reduced.

In documents filed with the court Wednesday, prosecutors said they were considering making that request.

The issue over Terrence Langin's bond came up Wednesday afternoon, when the 52-year-old suspended police officer appeared at Waterbury Superior Court for a pretrial hearing.

Before the hearing, Langin's lawyer, Fanol Bojka of Waterbury, asked Judge Frank Iannotti and prosecutors to consider reducing Langin's $350,000 bond, which he has been unable to post since his arrest Dec. 14. He is being held in New Haven.

Iannotti has the final say on whether the bond would be reduced, and he did not make a decision Wednesday. It was not clear why the state's attorney's office wants Langin to take a lie-detector test.

Wearing a beige jumpsuit, glasses and handcuffs, Langin did not say anything during his less than five minute appearance, which was continued to Jan. 20.

The 5 foot, 10 inch Langin appeared as if he'd dropped between 10 and 20 pounds from his 175-pound frame.

Before he faced the judge, Langin stared blank-faced for a few seconds at a group of family and friends, who sat four rows from him. Only one friend attended Langin's first court appearance last month.

Langin, who has been an officer in Woodbury for 17 years, was arrested last month after state police seized two computers from his home in the Oakville section of Watertown. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, approximately 29,400 images of child pornography were found on his machines.

He was charged with possession of child pornography in the first degree, and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He was suspended without pay from the town of Woodbury, but his wife of 21 years and his 17-year-old son continue to receive medical benefits from the town.

12/30/2005 - 99.9% of Those Stopped in Connecticut DUI Roadblock Are Innocent
Just one motorist stopped at holiday sobriety roadblocks in Danbury, Connecticut charged with DUI.

Police in Danbury, Connecticut declared a holiday drunk driving roadblock operation where 99.9% of the motorists stopped were not drunk a complete success. Officials plan to continue the roadblocks through New Year's weekend, even though of more than a thousand stopped last week, police made only one DUI arrest.

The roadblock was declared a success because officers were able to issue a number of tickets for offenses unrelated to drinking. Twenty-nine expensive tickets were handed out to drivers who forgot to bring their licenses, and fifteen cars were towed because the operator didn't have the registration paperwork in the vehicle.

Danbury police made twice as many DUI arrests after the roadblock was taken down on Christmas Eve.

12/20/2005 - HARTFORD - The state Appellate Court has upheld the firing of an Ansonia police officer who was terminated after being accused of lewd conduct while in uniform.

The court agreed with a lower court's May 2004 ruling that blocked the reinstatement of Earl Stanley, who was fired in 2002 after being charged with sexual assault.

Judge William Cremins had ruled that police officials would be violating public policy against sexual harassment if they rehired Stanley. The appeals court agreed.

The ruling reversed a state labor board's decision that said Stanley, who was fired after receiving special probation for sexual assault, should get his job back.

From January 2001 to July 2002, four women gave statements to Ansonia police saying Stanley grabbed their buttocks, spied on them from his police car, and made "lewd and improper" gestures.

A state police investigation led to Stanley's arrest in April 2001 for fourth-degree sexual assault.
After being fired, Stanley appealed his termination to the state and won an arbitration award in November that said he must be rehired but denied him back pay.

The city appealed the arbitration award on the grounds that rehiring Stanley would violate the department's public policy.

11/05/2005 - Brookfield — If cars and trucks were not slowing down on Long Meadow Hill Road before, they certainly did Monday afternoon. Some nearly stopped in front of the white, two-story house at 129 Long Meadow Hill, where five cardboard signs were posted on a picket fence.

One said: "Our dog was killed today by a speeder who kept going due to poor police patrols. It could be your child next."

The signs were posted in anger by Justin Calemmo and his wife, Julie, both 33. On Monday morning, their 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier, named Dakota, was run over by a car not very far from the place where two men were killed in a July crash.

Before the day was over, Justin Calemmo got into an altercation with a police officer, was handcuffed and arrested. His wife complained of police misconduct after an officer threatened to use a taser — a type of stun gun. Police said they had to do so because Justin Calemmo was out of control.

Town officials will look into the incident, but they haven't decided if there will be a formal investigation, First Selectman Jerry Murphy said.

Early Monday morning, Dakota got out of the yard, even though she was wearing an electronic collar that was supposed to shock her if she went past a certain point. At about 7 a.m., Justin Calemmo went to look for his dog. His wife, seven months pregnant, called for Dakota from her yard.

Long Meadow Hill Road has a speed limit of 30 mph, but residents have said that most vehicles go far faster.

In July, two men, ages 22 and 18, were killed after their speeding car crashed into a tree beside Long Meadow Hill Road. The accident spurred an organized effort to curb speeding in Brookfield. After meeting with residents, police promised to hand out more tickets and put up electronic signs to tell drivers how fast they are going.

"I see people going so fast and running through stop signs," Julie Calemmo said.

On Monday, two town public works employees found Dakota's body about a quarter mile from her home. Most people in the neighborhood knew Dakota, and the town workers knew where to take the body.

A cruiser carrying one police officer joined the town truck and both arrived at 129 Long Meadow Hill Road at 7:24 a.m. A town worker told Julie Calemmo the bad news about Dakota

"She was such a loving, loving dog and had so much personality," Julie Calemmo recalled later.

Justin Calemmo returned to his home minutes after the town workers arrived and began asking if the dog was OK. He, too, got the sad news.

Brookfield police and the Calemmos differ on what happened next. "I yelled at the police to have more patrols on the road and I was screaming at them with a dead dog in my hands," Justin Calemmo recalled. He said he told the police officer: "If you had been handling this right, this would not have happened."

But police say he did more than yell. Calemmo was "extremely irate," according to the police report. The report said he was "screaming profanities" and "approached the lone officer at the scene in a threatening manner."

Police said Calemmo continued to stand in the road and yell as traffic passed. The report said that "the officer, armed with a taser, was ready to subdue Calemmo with the device but did not have to do so."

Justin Calemmo acknowledges that he was in the road. He said he had his dead dog in one hand and his other arm wrapped around his wife. He said he never lunged at the officer. Calemmo said he was concerned about his wife's safety when he shouted: "Put that gun away, you moron, before you shoot someone."

But Murphy said police told him that Julie Calemmo was on the porch of the house, well away from the officer. The officer put the taser away, but called in reinforcements. Three more police cars arrived at about 7:45 a.m. "They took me out of my house in handcuffs," Calemmo said. "I left my poor wife with a dead dog in her hands."

He was taken to the police station, fingerprinted, released and ordered to appear in court Nov. 19. Calemmo said he will plead innocent to a charge of breach of peace.

By 11 a.m. Monday, he was back home. That's when he posted the signs. One said, sarcastically, "Great job Brookfield Police Department. Average speed is 54 miles per hour."

At about 1 p.m., Justin Calemmo went to see the first selectman to complain about the speeding and the conduct of police. He wasn't happy with what Murphy had to say.

"He said we can't put up stop signs or speed bumps, they just need to raise awareness," Calemmo said. "I'm not asking people to go 30 mph. I'd be happy with 40."

Murphy told Calemmo that he believes police are making progress in slowing drivers. Murphy said police are giving out more tickets, putting unmanned police cruisers by the roadside to slow speeders and planning to launch a citizens patrol.

"Everybody feels bad about the dog, but (Calemmo) contends it was a speeder," Murphy said. "It could have been someone driving 10 mph."

On Monday afternoon, Murphy called Police Chief Robin Montgomery and discussed the altercation. "There are two sides and we're looking at both," Murphy said. "I am talking to the chief. As far as a formal investigation, we have not decided on a course of action."

Just after 2 p.m., a neighbor came to Calemmos' home and apologized. Dakota had run into her yard that morning and the woman tried to catch her but failed. She said she felt partly responsible, and Calemmos assured her that she wasn't.

A few minutes later, a woman driving a small blue car stopped in front of the home, near the signs. "I'm really sorry to hear that," the woman said. "I know how you feel." She added that "it's a dangerous road."

Another older woman, driving a black Toyota, slowed to shout: "All this over a stupid dog."

The woman missed the point, Justin Calemmo said. Speeding cars are dangerous for everyone. "It's not just for a stupid dog; it's for a stupid child. It's for a stupid jogger. It's for a stupid driver. I can barely pull out of my driveway in the morning."

Most drivers did not stop to talk, but almost every vehicle slowed out of curiosity. "I can slow traffic down with a few signs," Calemmo said. "The town can't stop it with a whole police force."

>>>>> Why didn't the cop just give the guy his dog and leave? End of story right? No he had to stick around because he got his little feelings hurt, because some citizen was yelling at him. This cop either lied or was afraid the owner was going to attack him with a dead dog. Threatening manner, please. What a wussy.

09/18/2005 - BRISTOL -- Two police officers accused of broadcasting racial slurs over a pirated FM radio station had allegations of misconduct years ago.

Capt. Daniel Britt, commander of the patrol and detective divisions, was cited for conduct unbecoming an officer and suspended for three days in 1995 for sexually discriminating against a female subordinate. Britt appealed the punishment. The outcome of his appeal was not known Saturday.

Britt was also suspended for a day without pay in 1994 for sleeping on duty. He initially protested that punishment as well, but later withdrew his appeal.

Sgt. Richard Valentine, a 25-year veteran, was suspended for two days in 2000 for conduct unbecoming an officer. He allegedly used a computer in the patrol captain's office to access the Internet for personal use.

Valentine abruptly resigned Friday and Britt was put on administrative leave after allegations surfaced that the sergeant periodically used a homemade studio in his basement to broadcast racist messages in the middle of the night.

The unlicensed broadcasts were known as WNFR for "Nigger-Free Radio," according to leaders of the state chapter of the NAACP and state Rep. Roger Michele, D-Bristol, who lodged formal complaints after learning of the practice Friday.

Britt's role remains unclear, but Michele said Friday he had been told that the captain's voice "could be heard" in at least one of the broadcasts.

Efforts to reach Britt and Valentine were unsuccessful Saturday. Both have unpublished phone numbers.

Valentine received a commendation in 1997 for helping establish a police department website. It was unclear Saturday whether Britt received any commendations during his time on the force.

Contacted at home Saturday, Mayor Gerard Couture called the matter "a bad dream."

"We will deal with this professionally and efficiently," said Couture, a former police officer. "I have never, ever heard about anything like this before and it will not be tolerated."

Couture said the police commission has a regular meeting Tuesday and as its chairman, he does not expect the group to meet before then.

Meanwhile Saturday, local black leaders expressed anger and shock as word of the radio station and its intent spread through the city.

"How could something like this happen in 2005?" asked the Rev. Terrace Johnson, who assists at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

Johnson, who does not live in Bristol, said he had heard parishioners describe the city as racist, but said he never expected that anyone in law enforcement could be involved in such prejudice.

09/12/2005 - A Willimantic police officer was arrested on charges he lied about witnesses' statements, Chief State's Attorney Christopher L. Morano announced Monday.

Officer Michael Murphy, 42, was charged with three counts of falsely certifying as to administration of an oath. He surrendered to inspectors from the Chief State's Attorney's Office and was released on a written promise to appear in Danielson Superior Court Sept. 26.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit in the case, Murphy interviewed three witnesses in a September 2004 home invasion case who provided written statements, but would not swear to the truth of the statements.

The charges against him are felonies carrying a maximum sentence of three years and a $1,000 fine.

After being questioned by superiors about the lack of sworn statements, the warrant alleges Murphy retrieved the original statements and falsely certified the witnesses had acknowledged their truthfulness.

08/23/2005 - Adams was one of several officers responding to a call around 3 a.m. on April 24 of a man with a gun in the area of a Slater Road residence. When officers arrived, about eight people were coming out of the house at once.
Among them was Jeremy Hapgood, who was, according to the arrest affidavit, intoxicated and the most belligerent of the group.

Officers had, however, wrestled Hapgood to the ground and put handcuffs on him, and believed him to be under control when Adams kicked him in the face.

Hapgood suffered injuries to his head, cheek and lip, according to reports of the incident.

Adams said in the affidavit that he thought Hapgood was trying to stand up and was attempting to kick his elbow out from under him and missed, but other officers weren’t convinced.

One officer told investigators, according to the affidavit, that Adams raised his arms over his head as if he’d scored a touchdown in football before kicking Hapgood.

Adams’ resignation was accepted by the Board of Police Commissioners last week.

"He voluntarily resigned and that is the end of his association with this department," said acting Police Chief William Gagliardi. When Adams was arrested, Gagliardi made it clear there was no excuse for Adams behavior, saying at the time that residents expect police officers to protect them regardless of the situation.

Adams had been with the department for three years at the time of his arrest. Before his resignation, he was on leave pending the outcome of the case, which continues in New Britain Superior Court. He remains free after posting a $100,000 bond.