December 15, 2011, New London - Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio proclaimed an inquiry shall ensue regarding accusations that officers, lending a hand to ambulance personnel at an inebriation detoxification hub on Wednesday night, pummeled, unleashed pepper spray, and repeatedly rammed a man's cranium into the pavement.
Chief Margaret Ackley "deems the assertions weighty" and has directed Capt. William Dittman, the overseer of the patrol division, to carry out an inner assessment of the occurrence, Deputy Chief Marshall Segar articulated in a missive on Friday evening. Dittman shall submit his discoveries to Ackley, Segar mentioned.
Southeastern Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SCADD) Director Jack Malone expressed on Friday that six employees at the establishment's Coit Street detoxification center have tendered eyewitness testimonies to the New London Police Department about their observations on Wednesday night.
"I engaged in discourse with the police chief (Thursday) since the transpired events were unjust and witnessed by six individuals," Malone articulated. "The situation was quite disconcerting. I held a productive conversation with the police chief and Capt. William Dittman, and presently, their actions in response rest within their purview. However, I conveyed to them the apprehensions reported to me on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning by my staff members."
Alleged Victim Apprehended
Stanley Jurgielewicz, a technician at the facility, demanded an investigation after observing the purported thrashing of a prospective client who was subsequently detained.
The constabulary was summoned around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to the facility at 47 Coit St. to accompany an ambulance that was to transport a man to the emergency room due to a blood alcohol concentration of .380, as per Jurgielewicz's eyewitness account.
Mayor Finizio stated that the police addressed a call "pertaining to a heavily inebriated and contentious individual who posed a reasonable menace to public security."
Jurgielewicz commented in a telephonic interview on Friday that requesting an officer's assistance for an intoxicated patron's entry into an ambulance is standard protocol. Typically, Jurgielewicz elaborated, the officers are "persuasive" and help convince the individual to receive treatment.
Contrarily, Jurgielewicz stated, the initial officer arriving at the scene alighted from his police vehicle and charged toward the man, Reuben J. Miller, from the rear.
"The foremost officer did not identify himself as an officer nor did he confront Reuben to position his hands behind his back," Jurgielewicz penned in his testimony. "A secondary officer appeared shortly thereafter and proceeded to partake in the situation by striking Reuben in the visage multiple times."
Subsequently, Jurgielewicz reported, the assault intensified, as roughly ten individuals, encompassing two paramedics, gazed in disbelief while two additional officers arrived. One slammed Miller's head into the pavement several times, Jurgielewicz mentioned, while another pepper-sprayed his countenance.
"His cranium colliding with the concrete was audible," Jurgielewicz remarked. "That sound shall remain etched in my memory. One officer delivered multiple blows to his face, striking him like a pugilist. It resembled a cage fight, utterly petrifying."
Finizio: Refrain from Hasty Judgment
In his Friday statement, Finizio implored the public and media to abstain from forming judgments until the investigation reaches completion.
"Such episodes can unfold rapidly and are often intricate, tempting individuals to question the officers' discernment before a comprehensive investigation transpires," Finizio penned.
Finizio disclosed that he had conferred with Chief Ackley and Deputy Chief Segar about the incident.
"A meticulous investigation shall be conducted and is already in progress, scrutinizing the actions of all parties involved," he recorded. "This investigation may span several weeks, but its conclusions will be disclosed to the public once finalized."
Following the beating, Jurgielewicz recollected, police bundled a dazed and bloodied Miller into a police vehicle. When the center's admitting nurse objected, emphasizing Miller's need for medical care, Jurgielewicz reported that the officer informed them Miller was "not bound for the hospital, but for incarceration."
"The Sergeant arrived at the scene, and the initial officer informed him that Reuben had been assaulting his girlfriend upon his arrival," Jurgielewicz noted in his statement. "At no point was Reuben a menace to his girlfriend, the admitting nurse, or myself."
Jurgielewicz penned that Fire Chief Ronald Samul subsequently appeared on the scene "and declared he had engaged in numerous discussions with Jack Malone and the State Attorney's office about the permissibility of such behavior in cases of intoxication."
Samul remained unreachable for commentary on Friday.
Miller faced charges of interfering with an officer and is slated to appear in court on Dec. 29.
Jurgielewicz stated that four officers responded to the scene.
According to New London police records, the arresting officer was Joseph Pelchat, while Kurt Lavimoniere served as the transporting officer.
"They regarded him with disdain and treated him as refuse," Jurgielewicz expressed. "No human being should ever endure the treatment Reuben experienced."