Daniel Tepfer, Staff Writer
Published: 10:32 p.m., Thursday, November 18, 2010
BRIDGEPORT -- A veteran police lieutenant was fired and four other officers were suspended up to a year without pay for conspiring to cover-up a drunk-driving hit-and-run crash involving one of the officers.
In a situation that can only be described as sordid, police officials said Lt. Christine Burns, a member of the police force for 13 years, conspired with three officers who worked under her in the midnight shift to cover up the crash involving her lover, Officer Peter Billings, whom she also supervised.
The city's police commission found Burns violated a dozen Bridgeport Police Department rules and ordered her fired immediately.
Billings was found by the commission to have violated three department rules and was suspended without pay for one year.
As for the other officers involved in the cover-up: Scott Waehler was suspended without pay for two months, Ferdinand Ferrao was suspended without pay for three months and Thomas Kristy was suspended without pay for four months.
But Mayor Bill Finch said he doesn't believe the police commission went far enough.
"The Bridgeport Police Commission is an independent board consisting of city residents, which has the power to decide all matters relating to police discipline. While I respect the process and the individuals who rendered this decision, and while I acknowledge that unlike the panel I did not hear all the evidence introduced in the case, I am deeply disappointed by the vote," he said.
"In my opinion, the panel did not go far enough in the discipline they imposed. The alleged behavior exhibited by these officers is completely unacceptable. We must do everything within our power to prevent this type of behavior from occurring in the future."
Billings' lawyer, Thomas Bucci, said they are contemplating an appeal of the suspension.
Waehler's lawyer, Michael Fitzpatrick, said the punishment levied against his client was too steep "for an officer who had no direct involvement in the matter."
"I think it became clear throughout this process that both officers have enjoyed an extremely positive reputation in the department and have exemplary records," added John R. Gulash, who represents Ferrao and Kristy.
Burns couldn't be reached for comment and her lawyer, Harry Elliott, was unavailable for comment.
Burns and her four fellow officers, who made up the Amber sector of the midnight shift, developed a certain reputation in the department for their close working relationship and were often referred to by other officers as the "midnight gang." Ferrao, Kristy and Billings, an officer for 10 years, had all worked the midnight shift since 2001 and were good friends. Waehler joined the shift in 2008.
Burns started working midnights as a sergeant. She was promoted to lieutenant in April 2009.
Billings testified during a hearing before the police commission that he had been engaged in a sexual relationship with Burns.
According to the police commission report, in the early morning of Feb. 29, 2008, Billings was off duty and was driving his red Ford pickup truck while intoxicated when he crashed into a parked car near Savoy Street and Madison Avenue.
"Officer Billings was unable to say precisely how much alcohol he had consumed, but recalled that he started drinking alcoholic beverages at about 7 p.m. on Feb. 28 and continued drinking until the time of the accident at approximately 3:55 a.m.," the report states.
The impact of the crash pushed the other vehicle onto the sidewalk and caused Billings' airbag to deploy and the blowout of a front tire.
But the report continued that Billings then drove from the scene and ended up in a parking lot on Main Street, where his truck stalled.
The report states that Billings called officers Kristy and Ferrao. A short time later they, Burns, Waehler and a civilian friend of Billings, John Rodriguez, arrived at the parking lot. Rodriguez drove Billings home and arranged for a tow truck to pick up his vehicle.
The pickup was later dumped on Waterview Avenue with its ignition ripped out. Billings subsequently reported that the truck had been stolen from his parent's home. He also reported the theft to his insurance company, but later withdrew the claim.
The report states that a witness to the crash reported it to police, and the investigation was assigned to Burns and the other four officers, who did not report Billings was involved.
The commission stated that Billings blamed his actions on the fact that he was going through a hotly contested divorce at the time, although he admitted he was having sexual relations at the time with Burns.
No criminal charges have been filed against any of the officers.
Burns is no stranger to controversy.
On Jan. 19, 2004, her then-boyfriend Bridgeport Police Officer Michael Dominguez barricaded himself inside the couple's home in Trumbull for nearly 17 hours before fatally shooting himself in the head. For part of the siege, Dominguez held Burns, then 29, hostage along with their infant daughter and her 9-year-old son.
Burns later sued the city and former Police Chief Wilbur Chapman for remarks he made to the newspaper about her and was awarded $5,000.
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