A New Haven resident has filed a lawsuit blaming the former police chief and others for creating the conditions that led to his false arrest on drug charges.
Norval Falconer filed the $10 million lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in New Haven against former Chief Francisco Ortiz and former detectives William White, Justen Kasperzyk and Jose Silva. White, Silva and Kasperzyk were sentenced to prison for corruption.
Telephone messages by reporters were left Monday for Ortiz.
Falconer, 27, says he was falsely arrested on drug charges two years ago at an apartment after former detectives planted drugs. The charges originally filed against Falconer were dismissed after he spent a month in jail.
The lawsuit claims Ortiz and the city gave tacit approval to the conduct of the officers by failing to supervise them and putting pressure on them to make arrests at any cost.
Falconer told reporters Monday that it was two years ago this month that he was falsely arrested on drug charges. He claimed that Kasperzyk planted the drugs and that Silva lied on a police report.
"What this lawsuit will reveal is that conduct that sent White and Kasperzyk to prison was condoned and encouraged by a police chief and administration that wanted to clean up drug infested neighborhoods at any cost," said Falconer's attorney, Diane Polan.
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Robert Smuts, the Chief Administrative Officer for New Haven said he does not believe the city is responsible for what happened to Falconer.
"If they were behaving illegally, which they were, without the approval or knowledge of the city, I don't believe we would have any responsibility," said Smuts about the jailed police officers. "That's very clearly what happened," he added.
