The Day published on 10/14/2006
Groton— Groton City Deputy Police Chief Patrick McMahon was escorted from police department headquarters last week after an officer filed a complaint about him with the police union, according to sources within the department.
Detective Dave Thomas, president of the union, said an officer he declined to identify came to him with the complaint last week. He said McMahon was placed on administrative leave Oct. 5.
“He was very upset,” Thomas said of the officer who lodged the complaint. “I had to bring it to the administration's attention. So I took it to the chief.”
Neither Police Chief Bruno Giulini nor Mayor Dennis Popp responded to several calls to their office and homes Wednesday through Friday. In messages left with both, The Day sought information on the circumstances surrounding the incident and any disciplinary or administrative action taken as a result.
Three officers, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, said McMahon told a joke that offended an officer who was present at the time.
The alleged incident took place Oct. 4 at police headquarters on Meridian Street.
Subsequently, one officer said, “He (McMahon) put his badge and his gun on the chief's desk and was walked out of the building.”
Thomas said the city's attorney and human resources department is handling the matter.
“We're just waiting to hear from them what's going on,” he said. “I think human resources was the way to go to handle this. I think they'll do good job.”
Thomas said there has been ongoing friction between labor and management within the police department. He confirmed that there was an additional complaint filed against McMahon last week but would not elaborate on the nature of it.
Officers have complained about McMahon in the past.
In December 2003, during McMahon's six-month probationary period on the job, an officer accused McMahon of threatening to “go postal” if he ever accidentally sipped from a cup that the officer had used as a spittoon.
An outside agency investigated the matter, Thomas said.
“There are still some problems,” he said. “The officers are united, but there are still some issues with management. I just want this settled. We need things to be the way they should be between the guys and management.
“We have a lot of good officers who have spent their professional lives in this department.”
c.potter@theday.com