Oops! Cop Mistakenly Tows State Treasurer's Car

Denise Nappier was forced to walk home after the incident.

State Treasurer Denise Nappier was left to walk home by a Hartford police officer who towed her car during a traffic stop last week.

The officer stopped Nappier on Barbour Street in her state-issue vehicle around 8:30 p.m. last Thursday.

The treasurer had just dropped off a friend, and was turning around when the officer stopped her, Nappier told NBC Connecticut.  Napper said the officer and an ambulance were already on the street for a separate incident.

Nappier explained to the officer who she was, and that the car she was driving was a state "fleet" vehicle that as treasurer, she was authorized to drive, she said.  She handed over her license and registration to the officer who ran the information through a computer, Nappier said. 

The black Crown Victoria had a standard license plate, and not the official state plate on the car, but Nappier even showed the officer her official plate,which she keeps in her trunk, she said.

Even after all that, the officer issued Nappier a summons for operating an unregistered vehicle, having no insurance and misuse of registration plates. She then ordered the car to be towed, and left Nappier to walk home, a distance of about 3.5 miles, according to Nappier.

The State's Attorney's Office was contacted about the incident on Friday. After reviewing the police report, and valid registration documents for the car, State's Attorney Gail Hardy determined there were no motor vehicle or criminal violations, and that the officer had no basis to issue the summons to Nappier or tow her car.

Hardy will ask a judge to drop all of the counts in the summons against Nappier.

Hardy met with Hartford Police Chief Darryl Roberts Friday to explain her findings to him.

Roberts began an investigation on Sept. 1, according to a statement from Hartford police. 

"I also reassigned the officer involved, pending the findings of my investigation," Roberts said.

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