5 Bridgeport Cops Suspended: Mayor
By BEN SOSENKO
Updated 6:29 AM EDT, Fri, Oct 30, 2009
Five Bridgeport police officers, including a lieutenant, have been taken off the city streets and suspended. The mayor said the allegations are serious, but he isn't saying more.
"It's a personnel matter," Mayor Bill Finch said. "I can't really go into too much of it, but it's very troubling."
Lt. Christine Burns and officers Peter Billings, Thomas Kristy, Ferdinand Ferrao and Scott Waehler will now face a civilian panel who will decide their fate.
Mayor Finch says until they plead their case, details on the accusations will not be released.
"I want to assure the public the police officers are keeping them safe," Finch said. "That may not be the case but we have to hear them out."
The Connecticut Post reports that the investigation stemmed from a car crash involving one of the officer's personal cars. Finch would not confirm nor deny this, but people in Bridgeport said they deserve to know.
"We sit here and pay all this money," Delia Villanueva said. "We should be able to find out what's going on, especially for our kids' sake."
Finch also said it's still early to know if there will be criminal charges in this case, but he did say it's a possibility.
First Published: Oct 29, 2009 9:57 PM EDT
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