A cop called in sick. Then he himself got stopped by cops — and was charged with driving under the influence.
A New Haven cop did that in July, according to Police Chief Frank Limon. Now Limon wants that officer fired.
The Police Commission Thursday night is scheduled to consider the request from Limon involving Officer James Evarts, who has over 11 years on the job.
Old Saybrook police arrested Evarts in July. They charged him with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and carrying a firearm while under the influence. His next scheduled court date, in Middletown, is Nov. 19.
Chief Limon put Evarts on light administrative duty pending resolution of his case.
“It’s a question of [officers] being honest and taking responsibility for their actions,” Limon said Monday.
Limon said Evarts had called in sick the day of the arrest. “He was supposed to be at home recovering from an alleged illness, and he wasn’t,” Limon said. He said Evarts was also carrying his department-issued firearm at the time.
Police Union President Louis Cavaliere could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon. Nor could Evarts’ attorney.
In November 2005, Evarts helped fellow Officer Steve McMorris rescue people trapped in a fire at the Three Judges Motel.
Chicken Fryer Pistol-Whipped
A worker at Crown Fried Chicken was attacked outside the restaurant early Sunday morning, police said.
Here’s what happened, according to police spokesman Officer Joe Avery:
At 3:10 a.m. on Sunday, the employee had just closed and locked the door to the restaurant, at 771 Dixwell Ave. As he was waiting for a taxi to pick him up, a man approached from behind and told the worker not to look back. The man demanded the keys to the restaurant. The victim refused. He turned and was pistol-whipped three times in the forehead. The gunman went through the worker’s pockets, took a T‑Mobile cell phone, and fled south on Dixwell.
In other police news, according to Avery:
On Saturday at around 9:15 p.m., a 21-year-old told police he had been riding his bike on Dixwell Avenue, near Webster Street when a group of guys started chasing him. Two caught up with him and demanded his bike. After a struggle, one of the guys took his bike and fled towards Goffe Street. Yale cops chased a male on Dickerman Street, who had the bike. He wasn’t caught, but the bike was recovered.
Crime Map
Click here for a list of major crimes for Oct. 15 – 17. Click on the image below to see those incidents placed on a citywide map.
NHPD
For block-by-block year-to-date crime information, plus daily crime maps, check out the Independent’s Crime Log.