Sam Gurwitt Photos
Organizer Kerry Ellington faces Commission Chair Michael Iezzi.
Attempting executive session.
• Meeting canceled amid calls to fire shot-firing cop.
• Iezzi: Investigation must conclude first.
• Chase policy review had been on agenda.
Iezzi eventually decided to cancel the meeting. He said it was not possible to get anything done with the protesters in the room.
Around 80 people showed up to the meeting to seek answers about the commission’s silence after Hamden Officer Devin Eaton shot at an unarmed couple on April 16, and to demand Eaton’s immediate termination.
Protesters demanded that the commission fire Eaton. Iezzi said that the commission can fire an officer only once a case has been brought before it. Eaton is currently out on leave while the state police investigate the shooting.
“The police commission only gets involved in disciplinary action when it’s presented to them — when charges are brought forth by the police chief,” Iezzi said. “When the chief brings forth charges, then we can act on it.” The same goes for policy, he said. The commission can approve or deny policy, but it cannot write it.
“Insensitive”
Ashleigh Huckabey.
Iezzi began the meeting by explaining the commission’s role and how he planned to proceed with the meeting. “We are aware of what has transpired and that people are troubled,” he said. He explained that according to commission policy, comments during public hearings must pertain to the items on the agenda.
“In recognition of the public being here and being so concerned and being so troubled,” he said, he would hold the police commission meeting and then the traffic authority meeting directly after, as scheduled. Then, he said, he would reopen the police commission so that people could address the commission on topics that were not on the agenda.
The only item on the agenda Wednesday was the approval of a new pursuit policy, which would allow vehicle pursuits only when the suspect has committed, or intends to commit, a violent felony.
Iezzi said that the commission has the power to discipline and fire officers, but that in those matters, the commission must act according to policy.
“It’s very important that our procedures are handled properly because if they’re not, we could actually jeopardize the case,” he said. “We are actually the judge and the jury in any case that comes before us.”
He said that he and the rest of the commission need to be objective, and that therefore they are not allowed to talk about the Eaton case or any other case that may come before them in the future.
“I have not even discussed this with commissioners, my wife, anybody,” he claimed. “I have refrained from watching the news, looking at the clips — I have seen one — but it’s nothing that I can make a determination on.”
At that point, Ellington, who is a community organizer in New Haven, had had enough.
“That’s a lie,” she said from the back of the room. “You have assaulted us with your opening. I would rethink it.”
After the meeting, she said that she had found Iezzi’s whole opening insensitive — the fact that he kept saying he could not talk about it, the fact that he had been avoiding the news.
“‘And then at the end, I’ll let you talk about your feelings,’” Ellington said, recalling how Iezzi had told the crowd that it must wait until after the meeting to speak to the commission.
Iezzi tried to continue the meeting. But the voices in the crowd grew louder and louder, drowning out his.
As Clerk Kathy Gempka took roll call, the names of the commissioners were inaudible over the chant: “Justice for Stephanie! Justice for Paul!”
The chant continued as Commissioner Raeanne Curtis moved to approved the minutes of the April 10 meeting.
“Fire the officer!” Ellington demanded.
“I don’t have the authority,” replied Iezzi. “It’s got to come to us.”
Executive Session Tried
Attempting executive session.
He moved to go into executive session to discuss meeting procedures and how to go forward with the meeting. At that moment, Ellington’s voice and Iezzi’s mic joined forces as she picked up the mic, continuing to make her demands as Iezzi looked back.
He and the other commissioners got up to go into another room. Protesters followed the commissioners into the small office room, where Ellington and Iezzi spoke face to face.
“You have the power to fire the officer and you have just means. You have just cause to let this officer go off this force right now,” said Ellington. “He should not be getting paid vacation. He fired at children who were innocently sitting in their car.”
Once it became clear that executive session was not going to happen, Iezzi decided to reconvene the meeting. Protesters lined up in the back of the room and began to sing.
Iezzi then decided to adjourn the meeting. He did not say whether it will be rescheduled.
Commissioners confer with council members.
Iezzi and a few other commission members went to talk to members of the Legislative Council. After a while, some of the commissioners began to leave. They had to push through the crowd to get out of the room. Protesters followed Curtis to where Deputy Police Chief Bo Kicak had brought his car to pick her up outside the building.
Fire Now?
At one point, a woman read from the charter to argue that the commission does, in fact, have the power to fire an officer.
The charter states that the commission has “the sole power to appoint, promote and remove all personnel.”
It does not say explicitly that the commission cannot fire an officer without the department first bringing charges. It also does not say that it can.
The charter states: “With regard to the power to appoint, promote and remove officers and members of the Department, the Chief of police shall provide a recommendation to the Commission.” It also says that “The Commission shall meet and hear, upon written request, the complaint of” any member of the police department or of the public based on the conduct of an officer.
The Police Union contract provides more detail on the process of disciplining an officer. It says that it requires a hearing and representation for that officer.
If disciplinary action is to be taken as a result of a complaint, it says, “the Police Commission shall notify the employee allegedly involved, in writing, of the charges, and said Commission shall schedule a hearing no later than thirty (30) calendar days after said notification and not earlier than one (1) week after said notification of hearing. The Town shall have the burden of proving that the employee committed the infraction charged… The employee shall be entitled to present a defense and to be represented by Counsel of his/her choice at said hearing.”
“The fact of the matter … right now is that people do not trust the process,” said Legislative Council Rep. Justin Farmer. He said that he understands the commission has limitations, but that it can make changes to procedure and that it has not made any indication that it will do so. He said he hopes to hear from the commission that it will look into structural changes to procedure.
“Be courageous and change the procedure,” said Roxana Walker-Canton. “Because you see the procedure isn’t working for the community.”