Questions surround police officer

Posted: 07/02/2009 07:06:02 PM EDT
The Advocate

Information that has surfaced regarding the officer who punched a woman in downtown Stamford last week raises more questions than it does provide answers.

The most striking fact is that Officer Gregory Zach had four other complaints lodged against him in 2007 -- including while he was off-duty conducting traffic at a construction site, a practice the city likes to sell as a major plus since it puts a greater police presence on the street. It's safe to say this is not the kind of presence it's looking for.

Conduct described in the complaints includes pulling a motorist from a car, berating others with obscenities and opening a passenger door to shout at a woman driver across her 8-year-old son who was sitting in the passenger seat. In that case, he reportedly cursed at her in the presence of her son because she had mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brake while driving her husband's truck.

That kind of behavior certainly suggests a coiled spring about to pop, and, if reports are accurate, pop it did June 25 when Officer Zach punched the female owner of The Palms nightclub in downtown Stamford after pulling her from her car.

Police confirm that Zach punched the woman, but descriptions of the incidents that led up to the blow differ. Police say that the woman punched the officer first, after he had grabbed her arm. The case is being investigated, but it's important to point out that the officer is male and 26, the nightclub owner female and 40. That she wound up with a giant welt in the middle of her forehead, from nose to hairline, was not the only evidence that this was continents away from a fair fight, and absolutely improper conduct on the part of a police officer.

Which raises the question: Why was a coiled spring patrolling city streets in a Stamford police uniform?

Without knowing more information, no one can surely say that Officer Zach should not have been on the streets. His behavior in the 2007 incidents is alarming -- especially yanking open the door to a vehicle that contains a young boy. But the Police Department needs to be more forthcoming with details about what happened and the aftermath.

Complainants in the earlier incidents say they were told that Zach was to receive anger management and sensitivity training.

But the spokesman for the Police Department this week said, "We don't want to discuss the officer's disciplinary history, if there is one, at this stage." The Internal Affairs report obtained by The Advocate did not specify whether disciplinary action was taken against Zach.

Citizens of this city need to know how the department handled these cases, and what as a rule it does about others like them that may be filed. An expectation of transparency is a reasonable part of the compact citizens make with police after trusting them with the power of life and liberty.