Police commissioners in East Haven have voted to urge the mayor to fire the police chief instead of letting him retire amid allegations that police officers abused Latinos.
By a 5-0 vote, the commissioners recommended on Tuesday night that Leonard Gallo be fired. They said he failed to provide leadership and that was evident last week with the arrest of four town officers.
The officers are accused of waging a campaign against Latinos that included beatings and false arrests. They've pleaded not guilty.
Gallo's lawyer said his client is an unnamed co-conspirator in the federal indictment, accused of blocking the police commission's efforts to investigate misconduct. The lawyer called the vote political.
Gallo announced his retirement on Monday. But the commission board chairman said Gallo shouldn't be allowed to retire because then he can collect a severance lump sum of $130,000 to $150,000.
