Veteran firefighter facing charges

William Kaempffer, Register Staff November 30, 2002

NEW HAVEN — A city firefighter faces felony charges after he allegedly tried to hold up a Westville gas station.

Marvin H. Pope, a fire department veteran of more than 20 years, remained on administrative leave Friday pending a disciplinary hearing before the Board of Fire Commissioners, Assistant Fire Chief Ronald Dumas confirmed. The assistant chief declined further comment. According to police, the attempted robbery occurred last weekend at the Exxon station at 1570 Whalley Ave. Sgt. Craig Guglielmo said police were dispatched to the business on a report of an armed robbery just before 10 a.m. Sunday. While officers were still en route, dispatchers alerted police to be on the lookout for a gold Nissan Pathfinder with a white male occupant, Guglielmo said. A clerk at the store also provided a license number, which dispatchers traced back to a home on West Rock Avenue. The Exxon clerk told police he was inside the employee booth when the would-be robber entered the store and demanded he empty the cash register. Pope allegedly held his hand in his jacket pocket as if he had a gun. The heist, however, didn’t go according to plan. When Pope walked toward the clerk, the employee grabbed and wielded a lightweight plastic bat and "protected himself," police said. It was not immediately clear whether the employee stuck the robber with the bat. When the cashier threatened to call police, the suspect left the store, with the employee close behind. He jotted down the license plate when the car drove off, police said. No one was seriously injured and the robber never showed any weapon. After tracing the Pathfinder back to Pope’s address, several officers found the sport utility vehicle outside and Pope inside the house. He didn’t offer any resistance, police said. Detectives later retrieved the Exxon employee and drove him down West Rock Avenue as police stood with Pope. The employee made a positive identification, police said. Guglielmo said Pope was charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree robbery and criminal-attempt to commit second-degree larceny, both felonies. He was held on $25,000 surety bond. At his arraignment Monday, a judge released him on a promise to appear in court, court records show. Pope, 52, had been on the fire department for more than two decades. Sources inside the department said they believed the robbery attempt was fueled by a substance abuse problem. A woman who answered the phone at Pope’s home Friday said he was not available.

William Kaempffer can be reached at wkaempffer@nhregister.com, or at 789-5727.	©New Haven Register 2002