EAST HAVEN — Police Officer David Cari, one of four officers indicted and arrested Jan. 24 for allegedly harassing and violating the civil rights of Latinos, has put in for a disability retirement, Deputy Chief of Police John Mannion confirmed Wednesday.
Mannion also confirmed that he has begun internal affairs investigations on all four arrested officers, as requested by retiring Chief of Police Leonard Gallo immediately after the arrests.
The investigations likely will take some time, said Mannion, who officially becomes acting chief Friday, when Gallo’s retirement goes into effect.
Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. announced Tuesday that Gallo, whose lawyer has confirmed he is the unnamed “Co-conspirator 1” in the indictment, will retire effective Friday. While Gallo has not been charged with anything, he could be at a later date.
Maturo, meanwhile, quickly appointed two new members to the Board of Police Commissioners to replace two Democratic appointees of former Mayor April Capone, Chairman Fred Brow and James Krebs, whose terms expired Wednesday.
The new members are Republican Town Chairman Lou Crisci and Jose Velasquez, who Maturo also recently appointed to the new Law Enforcement Advisory Resource Network, or LEARN, committee. Velasquez will be the first Latino member of the police board.
The mayoral appointments need no confirmation.
Maturo’s two appointments are unlikely to immediately give him control of the board, raising questions about the likelihood of the board approving Cari’s disability retirement request.
The five-member board voted unanimously Tuesday night to recommend that Maturo fire Gallo. All three of the hold-over members, Vice Chairman Joe Civitello, Carl Perez and Frank Piergrossi, also were Capone appointees.
Mannion confirmed reports from several other sources that Cari, a veteran of about 10 years who has been seriously injured at least twice in the course of performing his duties, including being shot at least once, put in his retirement papers, but said he couldn’t comment on it. He referred questions to Town Attorney Joseph Zullo
Mannion also confirmed that he has begun internal affairs investigations on all four arrested officers, as requested by retiring Chief of Police Leonard Gallo immediately after the arrests.
The investigations likely will take some time, said Mannion, who officially becomes acting chief Friday, when Gallo’s retirement goes into effect.
Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. announced Tuesday that Gallo, whose lawyer has confirmed he is the unnamed “Co-conspirator 1” in the indictment, will retire effective Friday. While Gallo has not been charged with anything, he could be at a later date.
Maturo, meanwhile, quickly appointed two new members to the Board of Police Commissioners to replace two Democratic appointees of former Mayor April Capone, Chairman Fred Brow and James Krebs, whose terms expired Wednesday.
The new members are Republican Town Chairman Lou Crisci and Jose Velasquez, who Maturo also recently appointed to the new Law Enforcement Advisory Resource Network, or LEARN, committee. Velasquez will be the first Latino member of the police board.
The mayoral appointments need no confirmation.
Maturo’s two appointments are unlikely to immediately give him control of the board, raising questions about the likelihood of the board approving Cari’s disability retirement request.
The five-member board voted unanimously Tuesday night to recommend that Maturo fire Gallo. All three of the hold-over members, Vice Chairman Joe Civitello, Carl Perez and Frank Piergrossi, also were Capone appointees.
Mannion confirmed reports from several other sources that Cari, a veteran of about 10 years who has been seriously injured at least twice in the course of performing his duties, including being shot at least once, put in his retirement papers, but said he couldn’t comment on it. He referred questions to Town Attorney Joseph Zullo
“Anything with any of the defendants has to go through Attorney Zullo’s office,” Mannion said.
Zullo did not immediately return calls for comment.
While Cari does not have enough time in as a police officer to qualify for a regular retirement, he would qualify for a disability retirement, sources said.
The Board of Police Commissioners must act on his request.
Cari was one of the two police officers initially involved in the Feb. 19, 2009, arrest of the Rev. James Manship, pastor of St. Rose of Lima in New Haven, while he was videotaping police taking license plates off the wall at My Country Store, a Latino-owned store on Main Street.
But long before that, he took a bullet in the ankle in what later was honored as a heroic effort that likely saved other police officers’ lives.
Zullo did not immediately return calls for comment.
While Cari does not have enough time in as a police officer to qualify for a regular retirement, he would qualify for a disability retirement, sources said.
The Board of Police Commissioners must act on his request.
Cari was one of the two police officers initially involved in the Feb. 19, 2009, arrest of the Rev. James Manship, pastor of St. Rose of Lima in New Haven, while he was videotaping police taking license plates off the wall at My Country Store, a Latino-owned store on Main Street.
But long before that, he took a bullet in the ankle in what later was honored as a heroic effort that likely saved other police officers’ lives.
Cari earned the state’s Medal of Honor for his actions March 14, 2006, thwarting a fleeing armed robbery suspect, diving into a car to get the gun as the suspect pulled it out and began shooting.
Another of last week’s arrestees, Sgt. John Miller, also was honored in connection with that incident.
Then, on Sept. 6, 2007, Cari was injured in a serious automobile crash while pursuing suspects in the robbery of a Main Street Chinese restaurant.
Cari was one of four police officers that the FBI arrested in pre-dawn raids Jan. 24 as part of a two-year investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice and a federal grand jury into alleged profiling and mistreatment of Latinos in East Haven.
Another of last week’s arrestees, Sgt. John Miller, also was honored in connection with that incident.
Then, on Sept. 6, 2007, Cari was injured in a serious automobile crash while pursuing suspects in the robbery of a Main Street Chinese restaurant.
Cari was one of four police officers that the FBI arrested in pre-dawn raids Jan. 24 as part of a two-year investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice and a federal grand jury into alleged profiling and mistreatment of Latinos in East Haven.
Many of the charges against Cari were related to the arrest of Manship.
He has been charged with nine counts of obstruction, which can bring up to 20 years in jail or up to $250,000 in fines, and eight counts of false arrest, which could see up to one year in jail or up to a $100,000 fine. He also was charged with one count of conspiracy against rights, which could bring up to 10 years in jail and up to a $250,000 fine.
He has been charged with nine counts of obstruction, which can bring up to 20 years in jail or up to $250,000 in fines, and eight counts of false arrest, which could see up to one year in jail or up to a $100,000 fine. He also was charged with one count of conspiracy against rights, which could bring up to 10 years in jail and up to a $250,000 fine.
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