By Sharon Bass
The Hamden police sergeant arrested in North Branford for driving while under the influence -- and initially lying about being the driver -- has not been suspended, Police Chief Jack Kennelly said yesterday.
Sgt. Keith Benway, 37, has been assigned to administrative duties while an internal investigation is conducted, the chief said.
According to North Branford police, on Feb. 6 Benway was in a one-car accident on Foxon Road. His car had flipped over. When officers arrived at the scene they found Benway and another man. The Hamden sergeant told the police someone else was driving the car and had fled into the woods. A search for the individual was fruitless.
Upon further investigation, Benway was found to be the operator of the vehicle at the time of the accident. An arrest warrant was issued charging him with falsely reporting an incident, DUI and failure to drive right.
On Feb. 17, Benway turned himself in and was released on a $500 non-surety bond. He is due in court on March 7.
A
Passion for the Chinese New Year
Zeng Yun Zou at the Brundage Library.
By Betsy Driebeek
The 2006 Chinese New Year may have come and gone (began Jan. 29), but that did not stop 25 children from going to the Brundage Library the other afternoon to learn more about the 15-day holiday.
Zeng Yun Zou, a Southern Connecticut State University student, talked to the kids about Chinese culture.
"Call me ZZ," she said, as she was introduced. ZZ asked her young audience what they knew about Chinese New Year.
"Do you know what day Chinese New Year was this year?" "What are some of the things that happen on Chinese New Year?"
Hands shot up. Children mentioned firecrackers, lion and dragon costumes and dancing. "We eat a lot of food," Zou added. "We are also very superstitious. We don't clean the house for the 15-day period because we are afraid we will sweep out all the good luck. And we open all the windows so the old year will blow out and the New Year can come in."
Another tradition -- fitting to the library scene -- is reading the story, "The Monkey King." "It's a superhero story, very famous in China. You can find it on the Internet, that's where I got my copy." Zou said and then read the tale to the children.
Next, the audience moved to the snack table where they found Chinese New Year's candy and crispy honey rice crackers. Then it was on to the craft table where there was a demonstration on making hanging firecrackers out of paper.
Zou said she gets much satisfaction out of her work because she was left in the dark as a kid about her culture. Her family left its native China for Connecticut when she was 7. Her parents owned a Chinese restaurant here and worked, as Zou said, "365 days a year." There was little time spent passing on Chinese traditions -- and questions were not allowed.
Zou said she hoped to find a course about her background in middle or high school, but did not. So she researched her culture for years and is now passing it on.
The police lieutenant got one of three promotions
By Sharon Bass
The cop suing Chief Jack Kennelly and former Chief
Bob Nolan for allegedly blocking him from promotions -- after
he said he refused to lie for Kennelly about missing painkillers
-- was in fact promoted after the 2002 painkiller incident.
Sgt. Bo Kicak was made a lieutenant in September 2003, he said.
Asked why he got that promotion -- and not two recent ones --
if Kennelly and Nolan were out to get him since the year before,
he said, "[Kennelly] wasn't chief at that time. He was
far from being chief at that time. I don't think that promotion
was significant to anyone at that time."
When asked again about his 2003 promotion, Kicak,
42, of East Haven said, "I don't know why they didn't try
to stop that promotion,"
On Feb. 14, Kicak filed a federal lawsuit against Kennelly and
Nolan saying he was unfairly denied promotions last December
-- for deputy chief and captain -- in retaliation for not covering
up for Kennelly, then a deputy chief, in a 2002 Percocet bust.
Hamden police had confiscated 68 pills from Anthony Schettino,
who was convicted of robbery and possession of narcotics and
sentenced to 20 years in prison.
After the arrest, Kennelly handed in the pills and it was determined that 11 Percocets were missing. He said he put some in his desk drawer, though he was aware that ran counter to departmental rules, which require them to be put in a locked area.
Kicak maintained he didn't see the pills in the deputy chief's drawer and said Kennelly asked him to lie. Kicak said he wouldn't and told Internal Affairs officers about the incident. Since then, Kicak said he has been treated unfairly at work (a count in his lawsuit).
For 13 of his 16 years on the Hamden police force, Kicak said he worked in investigative services. About a month after making lieutenant, he said he was transferred to the patrol division, which he felt was in retaliation for not covering up for Kennelly.
"They thought that was a way of getting rid of me from investigative services," he said. "It's not the fact that the pay changes. [It doesn't.] You get paid for your rank, not for where you work. However the type of work is totally different."
In investigative services, Kicak said he supervised major investigations. As patrol division shift commander "you're basically a first responder to crime scenes. You secure the scene and call in the investigative services -- the place where I felt most comfortable and where my skills were used the most."
Kicak said his working hours changed for the worse, too. He said when he worked in investigative services he had no weekend or graveyard shifts. Now he said he works alternating shifts, including graveyard and weekend.
According to insiders, cops are divided in their loyalty right down "team" lines. For years, they say, there have been two unofficial rival-like camps or teams of cops: A and B. Kicak is on team B; Kennelly on A.
"Obviously there are people with varying views, but I'm getting a lot of support," said Kicak.
He defended his lawsuit, which opponents say is politically motivated.
"Nobody would put themselves in a situation like this if it wasn't true," said Kicak. "It's a stressful situation I wouldn't wish anybody to put themselves in. It was tense before I filed the lawsuit but not nearly as tense as things are now. I'm sure [police departments] are political everywhere but this place is ridiculous."
The lieutenant wouldn't say whether he's paying his attorney, Michael Stratton of New Haven, or if it's on a contingency basis.
A Few Words From Attorney Keefe
"This is a nickel-and-dime suit," said Hugh Keefe, Kennelly's high-powered New Haven defense lawyer.
He said he thinks there will be a jury trial, which Stratton is insisting on. Although, Keefe said, "this is just a routine civil case. [They're] trying to get money. Plain and simple."
Asked who's paying his tab, Keefe said, "None of your business and none of your readers' business."
His cell phone starting to break up, which ended the interview.
Attempts to reach Mayor Craig Henrici were unsuccessful yesterday on the national holiday Presidents' Day.
Customer
Killed at Hamden Carwash
By Sharon Bass
Yesterday, the Hamden Police Department reported a motor vehicle accident in the parking lot of Splash Car Wash, which resulted in the death of one person and the injury of another.
Splash employee Juan Cosett, 53, of 22 Helen St. was driving a Jeep that had just been cleaned at the 27 Connolly Parkway carwash, and struck a 2005 Cadillac CTS owned by Christopher Buonocore, 52, of North Haven. Buonocore was standing near the Cadillac as was Splash employee Saul Castaneda, 20, of New Haven.
Buonocore and Castaneda were both struck during the accident. Buonocore was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital where he died as a result of injuries. Castaneda suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was in stable condition early this morning at Yale, according to a nurse. Three parked vehicles also sustained damage in the accident, which is under investigation. Hamden police are asking anyone who has information regarding the incident to call officer Stephen Degrand at 230.4036.
It's About
Freedom
The Friendship Baptist Church choir.
Hamden honors black history
Words and pictures by Sharon Bass
It was an evening of song and praise to God. And to Rosa Parks for helping lead the way to equality for blacks in this white-male-driven society.
"She was standing up for justice when she wouldn't give up the bus seat," bellowed Martha Walker, chair of the Hamden Black History Committee.
The committee held the town's second annual "Black History Month Celebration" last night in Thornton Wilder Hall. Students read personal essays about Parks. The Friendship Baptist Church choir sang to the nearly filled room. Hamden High's Blessing Offor played the piano and belted out, with the audience, the national anthem and the negro national anthem, "Lift Every Voice."
HHS' Quinton Bright.
And young and old were awarded for their good deeds. Rev. James Johnson, chaplain for the Hamden police, was given the religion award; Dunbar Hill Elementary School principal Minister Janet Brown Clayton, the business and professional award; Hamden High student Quinton Bright, the youth award; and retired nurse Estelle Thorpe -- who spent nearly 44 years at Yale-New Haven Hospital and was the hospital's first black nurse manager -- the community service award.
One of the youngest -- and most energetic
-- attendees, 2-year-old Matthew Gibbs.
According
to Kicak's Lawyer
Chief Jack Kennelly and former Chief Bob
Nolan
By Sharon Bass
When the attorney representing police Lt. Bo Kicak talks next week to the federal judge assigned to the high-profile Kennelly case, he said he's going to demand the police chief's medical records and depositions of the town's Civil Service Commission.
"This will turn into a Rush Limbaugh-esque fight to get his medical records," said New Haven attorney Michael Stratton. The case has been moved from New Haven to the United States District Court in Hartford. Judge Robert Chatigny has been assigned to the case, for which Stratton is bucking for a jury trial.
On Tuesday, Kicak sued Police Chief Jack Kennelly and former Police Chief Bob Nolan in federal court, saying he was passed over for promotions last year in retaliation for not covering up for a 2002 drug bust in which Kennelly, then deputy chief, allegedly confiscated some of the Percocets seized instead of locking them up according to department protocol.
Stratton said no one has denied that Kennelly "tried to get Kicak to lie or why the pills were in [Kennelly's desk] drawer. And why he always seems to show up at drug busts when there are narcotics. And Kennelly could resolve a lot of questions by opening up his medical records."
He said he wants depositions from the Civil Service Commission because "we understand there was a lot of lobbying done by Kennelly and Nolan to not have Kicak promoted," Stratton said.
He said he asked Town Hall officials if they would be willing to resolve the case out of court. "The powers that be were not interested in settling the case. What we want is a full investigation of Kennelly. The reconsideration of the reasons behind Bo not being promoted. The money is a non-issue. If the town of Hamden does the right thing there would absolutely not be a lawsuit," he said.
Stratton said he would seek "a significant seven-figure award" from the jury.
"This is America," Mayor Craig Henrici said in response to the million-dollar-plus figure.
"It's going to be a purely circumstantial case. The jury is going to have to draw inferences," said Stratton. "Among Hamden public officials there is a complete lack of candor. A complete lack of willingness to provide honest information.
"Look at Nolan's and [former Mayor] Carl Amento's comments about how Kennelly was selected for chief. Both are denying active participation in him being named chief. They're using fudge words like, 'I didn't have any formal information.' That's not direct honesty. That explicitly means there was behind-the-scenes lobbying as opposed to direct formal testimony," he said.
Kennelly's lawyer, Hugh Keefe of New Haven, did not return a battery of messages left for him.
Keefe has said that Kicak is nothing more than a disgruntled employee seeking revenge. He and others have criticized the lieutenant for waiting three years to file the lawsuit.
Stratton defended his client's timing saying he had talked to internal affairs after the 2002 incident. "The state prosecutor in late 2003 was going to do an investigation and somehow that was thwarted by Chief Nolan. Kicak wasn't terribly concerned about it because Kennelly wasn't chief," he said. Then Kicak was turned down for promotions as deputy chief and captain last December.
According to Stratton, Kicak is a clean cop. "If you look at Bo Kicak's personnel file, he had just one disciplinary action when cleaning his gun and a bullet discharged," he said. "There are no other letters of discipline. He's always followed his superiors' orders and has always been an exemplary leader to his subordinates."
Don't Kill the Pills
Stratton said at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, he was informed there was a Superior Court order issued to destroy the evidence from the 2002 Percocet bust.
"That had to be requested by someone in the town," he said, "unless this is purely coincidental, which I highly doubt. The court order is issued the day after the lawsuit was filed and a week after I talk to [Town Attorney] Sue Gruen about the lawsuit."
A message left for Gruen late yesterday afternoon was not returned.
"As soon as we found out, we sent a letter to Sue Gruen and to the police department saying we want to give you fair warning if these drugs are destroyed we will seek appropriate remedies from the federal court," Stratton said.
Henrici said the evidence would not be destroyed, and is unaware of who initiated the court order.
"I've confirmed that no potential evidence has been destroyed and none will be destroyed," the mayor said.
He called the lawsuit "a distraction. I'm not speaking to the merits of the case, but the town doesn't need it. The department doesn't need it."
Defender of the Bad Guys
"Hugh is the lead attorney for all the priests accused of pedophilia. He's well versed in representing those who are accused of abusing their authority," said Stratton. "He knows exactly how to blame the victim." The lawyer said he represented a 13-year-old who was anally raped by a priest whom Keefe defended.
Keefe has also represented:
1) The East Haven Police department in the allegedly racially motivated fatal shooting of Malik Jones by Officer Robert Flodquist, in a wrongful death suit brought by Malik's mother.
2) Rev. Matthew Kappalumakkel, formerly of Saint Gabriel's church in Milford, after a woman accused him of having a four-year affair with her.
3) Father Daniel McSheffery, formerly of Saint Augustine's Church in North Branford, accused of sexually assaulting a former altar boy and at least 10 others.
4) Former Gov. John Rowland's chief of staff, Peter Ellef, who was under investigation for accepting gifts.
5) A youth basketball coach in Milford -- charged with having a two-year sexual relationship with a female teenage player -- who allegedly violated the conditions of his release by making a death threat against her.
6) Former state prosecutor David Newman, charged with pocketing money from criminal defendants that was earmarked for charity as a settlement of their cases.
7) Former Waterbury Mayor Joseph Santopietro and former Danbury Mayor James Dyer against federal corruption charges.
8) Retired FBI agent William Hutton Killingworth
who was indicted on federal child sex charges when he was a
Boy Scout leader.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASE
Contact Judy Lhamon, 287-2686 x6
Release Date: February 16, 2006
HAMDEN NOTABLES NOMINATIONS
Each April, the Hamden Public Library Board and
the Friends of the Hamden Public Library honor Hamden residents
for their distinguished volunteer service to the community.
The purpose of the Hamden Notables Award is to recognize Hamden
residents who, by giving generously of their time and energy,
enhance the quality of life in Hamden.
Nominations may be made by a community organization
or an individual, and must include a brief statement describing
the nominee's distinguished volunteer service to the community.
Community service could include either a variety of activities
over several years or an outstanding one-time service to the
Town. All nominations must be received no later than MONDAY,
March 20, 2006.
Nominations may be made in one of 3 ways:
1) Using a form available for printing off of
www.hamdenlibrary.org
or available to pick up from any of the three library locations
(2901 Dixwell Avenue, 91 Circular Avenue, 125 Carleton Street)
or from Memorial Town Hall, Center One, or the Keefe Center;
OR
2) Writing a letter describing nominee's distinguished volunteer
service to the community (including address and phone number
of nominee and nominator); OR
3) Writing an e-mail describing the nominee's distinguished
volunteer service to the community (including address and phone
number of nominee and nominator) and sent to notables@hamdenlibrary.org.
If mailing your nominations, please send them to Notables, Hamden Public Library, 2901 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT 06518. All nominations must be received no later than MONDAY, March 20, 2006. The Awards Ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, April 27, 2006.
February 16, 2006
..................The lieutenants.........................................the
sergeants............
.....the detectives.......................................Police
Commissioner Marty Ruff and...
Police Chief Jack Kennelly.
Amento
Responds to Lawsuit
Kennelly and Amento at the chief's induction
last year.
By Sharon Bass
When he named Deputy Chief Jack Kennelly the chief, former Mayor Carl Amento said as far as he knew the man's record was basically clean.
"I talked to [former Police Chief] Bob Nolan before Jack was appointed to let me know if there was anything in his personnel file. Bob said nothing significant. I was told there were a couple of little things, but I didn't know anything about this incident," said Amento.
"This incident" is an allegation by Hamden Lt. Bo Kicak that Kennelly pocketed 10 or 11 Percocets confiscated in a 2002 drug bust and when asked to cover for him, Kicak said he refused. Consequently, the suit maintains, Kicak was passed over for two promotions last November. He is also suing Nolan saying he hid the truth about what Kennelly did, and that the two campaigned to prevent Kicak from ascending in the ranks.
The former mayor said he still stands behind his appointment.
"He had the most decorations of anybody on the force," Amento said of Kennelly. "I was assured by our Chief Nolan that there was nothing of any significance. And it was Bob's recommendation."
Amento said he began hearing "rumors about this in the fall. People wanting to go after Kennelly. It was vague rumors. I was always in the position of ignoring that stuff and trying to move on."
While Amento said he knew little about the 2002 incident, he was aware of an investigation at the time "with Kennelly with some pills and it was resolved." Furthermore, he said, "there's a history of these types of things. People launch lawsuits. They rush to the press."
He questioned why the case is now being resurrected. "No one said boo for three years. Just because people throw out allegations in a sensational way doesn't mean necessarily it's true. Anybody can file a suit against anyone. I still think the appointment is a good one," he said.
He called Kennelly "the most experienced cop" on the force and the best pick to replace Nolan. "He was a deputy chief and we decided to promote someone internally. He had been the spokesperson for the department and did it very well," Amento said.
Kennelly was also a Hamden councilman for nearly two terms -- from 2001 until July 2005 -- stepping down when it was clear he would become the town's top cop.
"I made the appointment feeling that the Council, the community, everybody felt it was a good appointment. Now, when I'm no longer in office, this is coming out," said Amento. "I have a lot of confidence in Bob Nolan. I would not be surprised if Bob was correct and there was no cover-up."
More About
Today's Lawsuit
Jack Kennelly at his swearing-in as chief last
November.
Kicak's lawyer said he wants Kennelly investigated for drug abuse
By Sharon Bass
Lt. Bo Kicak said because he wouldn't cover up for Police Chief Jack Kennelly during a 2002 drug bust -- in which Kennelly reportedly put pills seized from the crime scene in his desk drawer instead of locking them up, and then asked Kicak to lie for him -- he was not only denied promotions but was demoted.
As a consequence, a lawsuit was filed today in United States District Court against Kennelly and former Police Chief Bob Nolan, who allegedly covered up for Kennelly, at the time a deputy chief.
Kicak has been with the Hamden Police Department for 19 years. He received a medal of honor in 2000 for a major drug bust.
Last spring, he said he took two civil service tests, one for deputy chief and the other for captain. "I was in the top three for both," the lieutenant said. "Out of the top three candidates, I was the only candidate with investigative experience as well as supervisory experience within that division."
But he got neither promotion. The deputy chief slot vacated by Kennelly when he became chief last November went to Tom Wydra, and John Lujick was made captain.
Kicak said Kennelly and Nolan tried to push through the promotions last May, six months prior to Nolan's November retirement.
"Kennelly and Nolan wanted to do it fast in order to get it by without anybody noticing it was an illegal promotion," he said. "I don't know how many members of the Police Commission knew about it."
But the promotions weren't made then.
"When I found out that Chief Nolan asked for the names to be called, I in turn spoke with civil service Commissioner Anthony Raccio. I advised him of the fact that the [police] commission was going to conduct the promotions and Raccio informed me it was in violation of civil service rules [because Nolan had not yet retired]. His directive was not to send any names down because the vacancy did not exist," said Kicak.
So the promotions were halted until last November.
A week after Kicak was turned down for the deputy chief position he went before the commission again vying for captain. "The commission advised me I was extremely qualified, extremely experienced and I would make a great captain. I believe I didn't make it because at that time Deputy Chief Kennelly and Chief Nolan campaigned hard for me not to be promoted," said Kicak.
Kennelly's Defense
Kennelly said, "Believe me, I'd love to respond but I can't at this point." He referred questions to his attorney Hugh Keefe of New Haven.
Keefe said accusations like Kicak's are the norm these days when cops get passed over for promotions.
"When Jack got sworn in I pulled him aside and I said, 'As of this moment you've got a target hanging on your back. The shooter is not going to come from outside of the department, it's going to come from inside.' It happens to virtually every police chief," said Keefe, who has represented former Hamden Police Chief Jack Ambrogio, Nolan and East Haven Police Chief Lenny Gallo.
"Some cops will use any means to try to further" their careers, the lawyer said. "This has become the latest game. They [cops] play because they have nothing to lose because the lawyers will take the cases on a contingency basis. It's like a lottery for the lawyers.
"Everybody knows [Kicak] is a disgruntled guy. Everybody knows he didn't get the promotions. So he's suing Kennelly. I told Jack, 'Don't be surprised. Don't be upset. This is part of the job. Get used to it. We'll handle it in court,'" Keefe said.
More Than Money
New Haven lawyer Michael Stratton is representing Kicak. He said money is not the only driving factor in his client's case.
"No. 1, Bo wants Kennelly out because it brings disrespect to the chain of command. It puts the department in a poor light. Bo didn't want to do this. He was trying to bring change from the inside. But once Kennelly rose to the position of chief, Bo was prevented from getting promotions," said Stratton.
He said Kicak has officers who work underneath him "who are looking to do the right thing. There are very few people who are willing to do this and risk their career. One of the biggest risks in a police department is being perceived as not being a team player. So it's do I lose my integrity to play along with Kennelly. Or do I stand up and do the right thing and not lie. Bo was beside himself when he watched Kennelly rise through the ranks," said Stratton.
The lawyer said Kennelly has a tendency to only go to crime scenes where painkillers are involved.
"Kennelly seems to be very interested in drug busts involving pills. He doesn't seem interested in arrests involving large quantities of money, heroin or cocaine. The people I talked to said anything that involved painkillers," said Stratton.
"There was one particular arrest involving morphine where [Kennelly] insisted on seeing the evidence. He pulled the plastic baggie away from the officer who was holding it. And the pills fell on the ground. This was at night, an outside situation. They hadn't done a count yet [of the pills].
"One of the issues we're going to look at very closely is Chief Kennelly's medical records and prescription records," said Stratton. "Just like Rush Limbaugh was doctor shopping, it will be interesting to see if the same sort of record exists for Chief Kennelly."
The attorney said former Chief Nolan covered up for Kennelly.
"The chief's [Nolan] responsibility was to restore credibility to the Hamden Police Department [after the 2002 drug bust]. His responsibility was to conduct a thorough internal affairs investigation and he did not. It was a whitewash. He instructed the internal affairs investigators not to take statements from the people they interviewed. If it weren't for the internal affairs investigators' veracity in investigating this and their decision to keep a record of their interviews, we wouldn't have had the records," said Stratton. "I believe the entire investigation was whitewashed because I believe Chief Nolan didn't want to blemish Kennelly's name because he was being promoted to chief."
Kicak said he thought "long and hard" about whether to file the suit.
"It's not just a monetary thing. It's to bring credibility back into the Hamden Police Department," the lieutenant said. "Just because one or two people think they're above the law, I don't think that should taint the whole department. It seems politics has a stranglehold on the Hamden Police Department on who gets promoted and who doesn't.
"It doesn't matter how good you are. It's a very rare occasion when somebody gets promoted without the political backing," said Kicak.
Stratton said he feels confident that the case will go to a jury.
White
Scenes
A Hamden Public Works truck and a Connecticut
Transit bus collide on the incline of the Skiff Street hill.
By Betsy Driebeek; photos by Betsy and Jim Driebeek
During yesterday's snowstorm, my family decided to take a drive.
"This is a great day to go to Scotty's Breakfast Connection (in North Haven) for breakfast," my husband said to me. "We won't have to wait for a table."
Having driven safely with my husband in many a snowstorm -- he likes this kind of thing and, no, we don't have an SUV, just a regular old car -- I agreed. I phoned Scotty's to make sure it was open, packed up our boys, grabbed my camera and we were on our way.
We got a table right away at Scotty's. Afterwards,
I took some pictures around town.
Every little boy's dream -- making huge snow
piles with their front loaders -- here at the Hamden Plaza.
My husband and son could not resist climbing
the newly formed Mt. Chili's.
The covered bridge yesterday at the Eli Whitney
Museum on Whitney Avenue.
The bridge is covered, but obviously not "snow
tight" as the inside was full of the white stuff, too.
February 11, 2006
