Assault
On 7/8/2006, while working a fireworks detail at Fort Trumbull State Park, Environmental Conservation Police Officers Ryan Healy and Mike Tavares, were approached by a female who stated that she had just been assaulted. She had a bloody nose and stated another female had punched her in the face. She knew the identity of her alleged attacker and that she was at a house party across the street from the park. New London Fire Dept. EMTs provided first aid for the injured female and Officers Healy and Tavares went to the residence looking for the female suspect. The officers found her on the street across from the park and escorted her back to the park for questioning. The female suspect was identified by the victim and placed under arrest for breach of peace. She was released on a promise to appear.
BUI Patrol Initiative
On 7/15/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officers from the Department of Environmental Protection along with several other marine law enforcement agencies conducted a boating safety enforcement patrol on the lower Connecticut River, which resulted in three arrests for boating under the influence. The United States Coast Guard, Connecticut State Police and Old Saybrook Police Dept. participated in the patrol, which focused on boating under the influence, possession of proper safety equipment and compliance with the wake zones in the lower Connecticut River. Three subjects were charged with boating under the influence. Officers also issued one infraction ticket and two written warnings for other boating violations.
Narcotics/Motor Vehicle Arrest
On 7/10/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Todd Chemacki was conducting speed enforcement at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. Officer Chemacki clocked a vehicle in the outbound lane at 47 mph. The area is posted at 25 mph. The vehicle was stopped and when Officer Chemacki approached the operator, he noticed several empty beer cans in the back of the vehicle. The operator could not produce a valid registration for the vehicle and stated to Officer Chemacki that his license was under suspension. The accused could not produce any identification and the name and date of birth that he gave Officer Chemacki appeared to be false. The vehicle was registered to a subject with a suspended license and active arrest warrant. After questioning the subject, Officer Chemacki determined he had lied about his date of birth and his license was under suspension. A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of suspected marijuana and a small amount of suspected cocaine. The subject was charged with numerous motor vehicle violations, possession of marijuana and possession of cocaine. He was transported to Troop F in Westbrook for processing and released on a $5000.00 non-surety bond.
Fugitive Warrant
On 7/23/2006, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Raul Ramos and Special Conservation Officer Ben DeCrosta were on patrol at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. They observed a suspicious subject in the back of a van at East Beach parking lot. Officer Ramos ran a check on the license plate of the van using a mobile data terminal and there was a warrant on file from the state of Maine for the registered owner. The officers approached the subject in the van and confirmed he was the registered owner. Maine was contacted and an active warrant was confirmed for the registered owner for probation violation. Maine agreed to extradite and the subject was taken into custody as a fugitive from justice. He was held on a $200,000 cash bond and arraigned the next morning at New Haven Superior Court.
Juvenile Arrested
On 6/22/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Dean Wojik responded to Green Falls Campground at Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown. He had received a complaint of an intoxicated person speeding around the roads and instigating fights with people. Witnesses directed him to a campsite where he found the 15 year-old suspect. The subject had consumed a quantity of alcohol and was driving his mother's vehicle around the area. He was also in possession of a small bag of marijuana. He was arrested and referred to Juvenile Court for the charges of Breach of Peace, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Alcoholic Beverage by a Minor, and Operating a Motor Vehicle without a License. The youths mother, who was found intoxicated at the campsite was issued an Infraction for Disorderly Conduct and evicted from the campground. The issue was also referred to the State Department of Children and Families.
PWC Accident
On 7/4/06, Environmental Conservation Police Captain Kyle Overturf, Sgt. Tom Bull, Officers Ed Yescott, Jeff Samorajczyk, and Ralph Concepcion responded to a boating accident on the Connecticut River in Glastonbury. A 16 year-old youth had been wake boarding behind a personal watercraft (PWC). When he finished wake boarding, he was sitting on the back of the PWC facing backwards, winding up the towrope around his hand. The watercraft then accelerated quickly which caused the youth to fall off the back. The force on the rope on his hand resulted in four fingers being pulled off. His four fingers were found entangled in the tow- rope. He was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital for treatment.
CSP Trooper Assaulted
On 7/4/06, Environmental Conservation Police Captain John Smutnick and Officer Dean Wojcik and Special Conservation Officer John Graves and CSP Troop E officers responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident at Hopeville Pond State Park in Griswold. An intoxicated park visitor had had an argument with his girlfriend at the beach and then took her car and left the park. As he headed northbound on Rte. 201 he lost control of the vehicle and it crashed through a metal gate and came to rest in the beach parking lot. The vehicle was severely damaged and the operator had a large cut on his head. He refused to stay at the scene and walked away northbound on Rte. 201. A responding State Trooper encountered him and the driver became belligerent and assaulted the Trooper. He was arrested by the State Police and charged with numerous offenses including Assault on a Police Officer, Reckless Driving, and Driving without a License.
Drowning
On 7/16/06, Environmental Conservation Police Captains John Smutnick and Kyle Overturf and Officers Joe Ruggiero and Bill Myers responded to Millers Pond State Park in Durham for a report of a drowning. A 15 year- old teen had been swimming with five friends when he slipped below the surface. The friends were unable to locate him and called 911. The Middletown South District Dive Team located the victim and he was transported to Middlesex Hospital in Middletown where he was pronounced dead.
Public Indecency
On 7/18/06, Environmental Conservation Police Captain John Smutnick responded to a complaint at Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middlefield that a man and woman, both naked, were engaged in sexual activity in the picnic area adjacent to the beach. Captain Smutnick found the two highly intoxicated suspects in a nearby brook. Another intoxicated female was asleep on a towel as well as another male. It was determined that three of the people were residents of a nearby halfway house. Middletown police officers arrived as back up. The first male subject was charged with Public indecency, Disorderly Conduct, and Interfering with a Police Officer. The first female subject was charged with Public Indecency, Disorderly Conduct and Assault on a Peace Officer after she attacked a Middletown police officer. The other intoxicated female was unresponsive and sent via ambulance to a hospital detox center.
Narcotics Arrest
On 7/21/06, Environmental Conservation Police Captain Rick Lewis and Officer Eric Johnson were on patrol at Mansfield Hollow State Park where they walked up to a pick-up truck parked at the boat launch to talk to the two men inside. They observed both men in possession of open cans of beer and could smell the odor of burning marijuana. A search of the occupants and vehicle revealed two bags of marijuana, several containers of marijuana butts, and a prescription narcotic drug (Darvon). The 31-year old operator admitted that his Motor Vehicle Operator License was under suspension for DWI and that he had a $125/month marijuana habit. He was arrested and charged with several narcotic and motor vehicle charges and released on a $5000 bond.
Officer Assaulted
On 7/22/06 at 1:00 a.m., Environmental Conservation Police Officer Chris Dwyer observed an ATV being operated on Rte. 66 and nearby roads and businesses in Hebron center. The operator stalled the ATV at the intersection of Rte. 66 and 85. Officer Dwyer pulled in front of the ATV and got out of his vehicle. The ATV operator started the ATV and drove in to Officer Dwyer, pinning him against his vehicle. Officer Dwyer was able to free himself and get back in his vehicle. He followed the ATV as it fled without lights to a nearby trail where it struck a fallen tree in the trail. The ATV was disabled and the operator fled on foot. Captain John Smutnick and Officer Hans Danielson and several State Police Troopers with a canine responded to the scene. The canine was unable to locate the subject, but a Trooper recognized the ATV and had noted the name of the owner. The officers located the owner at a nearby residence and were able to determine the name and address of the operator of the ATV. The officers went to the residence in Colchester and arrested the 22-year old operator. He was charged with Assault on a Police Officer, Interfering with Police, Failure to Stop, Operating an Unregistered ATV, Unreasonable Speed, and Defective Equipment. He was held on a $25,000 bond and has a Court Appearance on August 2nd at Superior Court in Rockville. Officer Dwyer received injuries to his back and legs and will be out of work for at least one week.
Wild Cat Captured
On 7/20/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Dean Wojcik was assigned to investigate a complaint of a large cat at a residence in East Hampton. He went to the residence and observed a cat, slightly larger than a bobcat, with a long tail, near a house. He followed the cat to nearby woods and was able to locate its' den. He was not able to snare the animal. He returned with a large live trap. As he was baiting the trap with a can of cat food, the wild cat emerged from hiding and took the food from the surprised officer and ran away. Officer Wojcik re-baited the trap and returned the next day and found that the cat was in the live trap. The cat was identified as an African Wild Cat, which most likely had been imported illegally and released. The cat was taken to a veterinarian who determined that the cat had a severely infected injury and could not be saved.
Officer Assaulted
On 7/4/06, Environmental Conservation Police Special Conservation Officer Rick Dirga was directing traffic on RT 6 at the entrance to Black Rock State Park in Watertown. As a safety measure due to the number of people in the park, the park's manager closed down further entry. An individual attempted to turn into the park entrance and SCO Dirga advised him that the park was closed. The driver of the vehicle began swearing at SCO Dirga then stepped on the vehicle's accelerator in such a manner as to make the rear wheels spin. The vehicle's wheels caught and the vehicle lurched forward almost striking a pedestrian. The operator then locked his brakes, skidded to a stop blocking the exit from the park and got out of his vehicle. The male subject approached SCO Dirga who advised him that he could not leave the vehicle there. The subject began swearing at SCO Dirga and approached him rapidly with his fists clenched. When SCO Dirga advised the subject to return to his vehicle the subject attempted to strike SCO Dirga. SCO Dirga was forced to defend himself and wrestled the subject to the ground and handcuffed him. SCO Dirga arrested the subject for Breach of Peace and Interfering with an officer. He was scheduled to appear in court in Waterbury on 7/18/06.
Bear Euthanized
A number of calls were received in Hartland regarding a black bear that was forcibly entering a number of summer cottages in the area. On July 8th the bear entered a cottage and Environmental Conservation Police Officer Tim Hill and Sergeant Paul O'Connell were able to locate the bear. After the bear was tranquilized it was determined that the bear had eaten a quantity of rat poison that was in the cottage for pest control and also had several bullet wounds in it's back. Due to the combination of the poison and the bullet wounds it was decided by wildlife personnel to euthanize the bear.
Drowning
On 7/15/06, Environmental Conservation Police Sergeant James Warren and Officer Stan Kucia responded to Black Rock State Park in Watertown for a reported drowning. It was determined that a 14-year-old male had been in the swim area with a group of friends and had gone underwater. Another swimmer notified the lifeguards that someone was on the bottom of the swim area and lifeguards immediately pulled the teenager out of the water. He was unresponsive and attempts by the lifeguards and Watertown EMS personnel to revive him were unsuccessful. There investigation revealed that there were no injuries or foul play involved with what was determined to be an accidental drowning.
Car vs. Moose Accident
On 7/25/06, Environmental Conservation Police officer Tim Hill responded to a report of a car versus moose accident in Goshen. A bull moose weighing approximately 600 pounds was struck by a vehicle and was seriously injured. The moose was euthanized and moved to the side of the road for retrieval by wildlife personnel. The vehicle that had struck the moose had left the scene prior to the arrival of State Police or EnCon police officers.
Public Indecency
On 7/30/06, a complaint was received from the lifeguards on the beach at Black Rock State Park that a male was exposing himself in the swim area. At the time there were numerous families with children on the beach that observed the behavior. Environmental Conservation Police officers Erin Crossman and Paul Hilli responded along with officers from the Thomaston and Watertown police departments. The officers located a 45 year-old male who witnesses identified as the person who had exposed himself to the children. Officer Crossman arrested the subject for Breach of Peace, Public Indecency and Risk of Injury to a Minor. The subject was released on a $1000 bond with a court date scheduled on August 14, 2006 in Waterbury.