Latest news with #MiddletownPoliceDepartment
Boston Globe
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Providence police oversight board slams department for ‘internal failures'
The three-page statement from the oversight board criticizing the city police on Friday afternoon came in light of the Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Hanley's reinstatement 'should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the structural deficiencies in Rhode Island's police accountability framework,' the oversight board wrote. 'His return to duty, despite his admission to serious allegations of misconduct and a dissenting opinion from a high-ranking police official, reflects the deep-rooted ineffectiveness of current oversight mechanisms.' Advertisement The PERA board is a civilian panel created in 2002 that investigates alleged misconduct by Providence police officers and reviews policies, making recommendations for discipline, policy changes and training. While the group is ultimately advisory, the police department is required to cooperate with its work, and its findings and recommendations are made public. Advertisement The board members are unpaid, but currently has three staff members including an executive director, an administrative assistant and one investigator. Karoly, the executive director, is a lawyer and former deputy chief of the Middletown Police Department. In its letter, the panel claims the police department has ignored the majority of its policy recommendations, and also has not responded to a request to come up with a 'disciplinary matrix,' essentially a guideline for officer misconduct that lays out the recommended punishment for each offense, from harassment to excessive use of force. The ordinance that created the oversight board says the matrix should be developed by the board and the chief of police. 'We submitted one several years ago, and they've just never approved it,' Karoly said. 'It's just kind of stayed in limbo.' Multiple recommendations also went unanswered or were denied, Karoly said. Josh Estrella, a spokesperson for the city, said the police department has responded to policy recommendations, as recently as March of this year. 'The Department has been actively working on a matrix and will continue to respond to PERA's recommendations formally as it relates to discipline or policy,' Estrella said. 'The Providence Police Department remains committed to transparency, accountability and strengthening public trust.' He said the review authority's budget, along with other department budgets, was cut based on 'actual expenditures,' which were lower than the board's budget. Advertisement The budget cuts will limit the group's 'ability to conduct hearings and fulfill our oversight responsibilities,' members wrote. 'These actions do not reflect a commitment to accountability — they are deliberate obstructions.' The oversight board members also said the police department has repeatedly obstructed their investigations, sometimes taking more than a year to provide evidence so the board can review alleged misconduct. In one case, the board said it investigated a complaint from a person who was videotaping and 'verbally criticizing' a sergeant who was arresting someone on Broad Street in 2023. The findings, released May 6, said it took until December 2024 – more than a year – for police to share the case file for the PERA investigator to review. According to the board's findings, the person who was filming the arrest was 20 feet away and did not get in the way of the police, but the sergeant — whose name is redacted — kept engaging with him and 'bumping him with his chest' before having him arrested for disorderly conduct. The charge was later dropped. The police department's internal investigation found the accusations of wrongdoing against the officer were sustained, and gave him a verbal reprimand, according to the oversight board's findings. The board recommended that the punishment be modified to a five-day suspension and eight hours of retraining, but has so far been ignored, Friday's letter claims. 'Instead of cooperation, we have encountered resistance,' the civilian panel wrote. 'The Providence police department must acknowledge and correct its internal failures.' One of the board-recommended changes to the ordinance that created the Providence External Review Authority is that staff be given 'full user access' to police records, including internal investigations and the body-worn camera system, 'so that PERA may efficiently review and or audit all police internal investigations as well as complete its own investigations.' Advertisement The review authority staff members would be 'subject to the same confidentiality requirements as police users and will not disclose personally identifiable information except as allowed by law,' the proposed ordinance says. The oversight board has fought to get evidence in the past. When the city refused for months to release the Then-executive director Jose Batista, who is also a state representative, publicly released the video and was ultimately fired for doing so. (Batista sued for wrongful termination, and later settled with the city for $45,000.) The oversight board was not conducting investigations for a period of time after Batista's firing, but has ramped up its activities under Karoly. Last week, PERA said it would investigate Providence police officers' Related : The letter also criticizes the state law formerly known as the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights, or LEOBOR, which allowed Hanley to return to the force by leaving the decision to a panel of law enforcement officers, not the chief of police. The vote was 2 to 1 to reinstate Hanley. Advertisement While the law was recently But the state law alone cannot be blamed, the panel said. 'Accountability starts at the departmental level, and the issues raised in Sgt. Hanley's case reflect a broader failure within the Providence Police Department,' the board's letter said, citing Deputy Chief Timothy O'Hara's dissent in the LEOBOR case, which stated Hanley was 'a man prone to volatility, a man prone to violence, a man prone to vulgarity, a man prone to untruthfulness, and a man accustomed to lying.' 'The fact that Hanley achieved the rank of Sergeant, served in the Detective Bureau, and held supervisory responsibilities despite internal concerns about his behavior raises troubling questions,' the board wrote. 'We are ready to do our part,' board members said. 'But we cannot improve policing in Providence without the tools, cooperation, and political will necessary to challenge the status quo. The community deserves better — and we will continue to fight for it." Steph Machado can be reached at
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Mailman hospitalized after being attacked by dog outside CT home
A mailman was taken to the hospital after he was attacked by a dog outside a home in Middletown on Monday. The postal worker suffered bites to several parts of his body during an attack involving a pit bull that was reported at a home on Barbara Road around 4:15 p.m., according to Erik Costa, chief of the Middletown Police Department. When officers responded to the home they found a 47-year-old resident tending to the injured mailman in the front yard, Costa said. The victim, a 48-year-old postal worker who resides in Middletown, suffered bites to his left thigh, left wrist, right forearm, lower abdomen and the back of his head, according to Costa. Police assisted in delivering medical aid to the victim until medics and crews from the Middletown Fire Department arrived and took over, Costa said. The man was taken to Hartford Hospital and treated for his injuries, which were not considered life-threatening. According to Costa, a preliminary investigation found that the victim was delivering mail to the residence when a 5-year-old pit bull forced the storm door open and attacked him. Witnesses reported seeing the events unfold, Costa said. The dog was taken to the Middletown Animal Control shelter where he will be quarantined while the incident is investigated, according to Costa. Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation has been asked to contact Animal Control at 860-638-4030. The attack comes as the U.S. Postal Service is using the month of June to run a national campaign to raise awareness to dog bites involving mail couriers. According to USPS, dog attacks involving mail couriers rose to more than 6,000 incidents last year. 'The best way to keep safe from dog attacks is to recognize and promote the responsibility of pet ownership, such as teaching your dog appropriate behavior and commands and not allowing your dog to roam freely. All dogs — regardless of breed, size or age — have the potential to bite,' Leeann Theriault, USPS employee safety and health awareness manager, said in a statement. 'Dog bite attacks on postal employees are preventable. The most important message for our customers to remember during the 2025 USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign is keep your dog secured and away from the carrier as the mail is being delivered. Help ensure the safety of everyone in our communities.' According to the postal service, even dogs that never show any signs of aggression can be susceptible attacking to defend their territory or if they become startled, anxious or unwell. 'Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day,' the postal service wrote. 'Securing your dog before the carrier approaches your property will minimize any potentially dangerous interactions. 'Keep your dog in a separate room or area away from the door when the mail carrier comes to your house. If you go outside, close the door firmly behind you and make sure it is secured so your dog doesn't slip out or bust through it unexpectedly.' According to the postal service, attacks on mail couriers can cost the dog owner thousands of dollars because they could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs and pain and suffering for the employee. 'Customers may not consider their dog a danger to others, however, to a letter carrier like me, all dogs can be considered a threat when delivering the mail,' Jonah Helfrich, a letter carrier in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, said in a statement. 'I was recently delivering mail and a dog barged through a door and bit me on the wrist, which required me to seek medical treatment. I strongly encourage all dog owners to take precautions to make sure their dog is secure when mail is being delivered.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Middletown Police installing speed cameras on 2 streets
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WTNH) — The Middletown Police Department is installing speed cameras on Washington Street and Camp Street, the department said in a release Monday. This is part of the city's initiative to enhance road safety and reduce speeding. The cameras are now active, recording the eastbound and westbound lanes of both streets. Man charged with DUI after allegedly driving wrong way on I-91 in Enfield In accordance with Connecticut state law, there will be a 30-day warning period. During this time, motorists who exceed the posted speed limit will receive warning notices instead of citations. Once those 30 days are up, citations will be issued to drivers exceeding the speed limit by the automated enforcement system. 'The deployment of these cameras aligns with Middletown's broader traffic safety goals and supports the City's Safe Streets and Vision Zero initiatives, strategies dedicated to eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries,' said the release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man killed in Middletown police shooting identified
May 28—Investigators Wednesday continued their investigation into a Middletown police officer-involved shooting that killed a man and injured a woman Tuesday morning at a home on Garden Avenue. Michael Anthony Baker Jr., 47, of Middletown was the man killed by police, according the Butler County Coroner's Office. The police officers involved in the shooting have not been identified by the Middletown Police Department, citing Marsy's Law. They have been placed on paid administrative leave. The incident occurred around 7:20 a.m. during the execution of a search warrant by police officers during a drug investigation. No officers were injured in the shooting in the 900 block of Garden Avenue, according to investigators, and the investigation has been turned over to Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Daniel Hils of Frontline Advisors, which represents the Middletown Fraternal Order of Police, said officers made "numerous" announcements on who they were before breaching the door. Baker came to the door and allegedly pointed a handgun at the police officers when he was shot, according to Hils. "Being involved in something like this is not in anybody's plan, and nobody wants to face that type of life and death situation," Hils said. There were other search warrants that were happening in and out of Middletown and more may be coming, Hils said. A woman in the house was injured from bullet shrapnel to her ankle, according to Hils. She was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Garden Avenue was blocked off by police tape between Woodside Boulevard and Pine Street for more than 10 hours on Tuesday. Spencer Kidd, a neighbor, told the Journal-News he heard three gunshots after observing officers conducting the search warrant. "I was hoping nobody was hurt, but that's obviously not the case now," Kidd said. BCI will complete an independent review of the circumstances, according to Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser. The investigation will then be transferred to Gmoser, who will present evidence to the Butler County Grand Jury. "I applaud Chief Nelson for getting BCI involved," Gmoser said. This is an ongoing investigation, and more details are to come, including the name of injured woman and body cam footage, which will not be released until the case has been presented to Grand Jury. This is the third police-involved shooting in Middletown since February 2023. A Butler County grand jury declined to issue any criminal charges against a Middletown police officer who fatally shot a man who opened an apartment door holding a gun on Christmas Eve 2024 at Olde Towne Apartment complex. Christopher Gorak, 50, died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Butler County Coroner's Office. Investigation of the incident indicates Gorak was also "heavily intoxicated," according to the county prosecutor's office. "(The grand jury) determined that no indictment alleging criminal conduct against any involved officer should be issued and that the death of Christopher Gorak was justified," Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said. In April 2023, Middletown police responded to the same apartment complex when they were shot at by a suspect. They returned fire and hit the suspect, wounding the man. Kyle Kellum recovered, was indicted for felonious assault involving a police officer, but found to be not guilty by reason of insanity following a bench trial in common pleas court. In February 2023, Middletown police shot and killed a man who pointed a weapon at them in the parking lot of the Walmart on Towne Boulevard. No charges were filed against the two Middletown officers in the deadly shooting. The officers' use of deadly force in the Feb. 25 shooting of 47-year-old Victor Lykins was deemed reasonable by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office, Prosecutor David Fornshell announced after reviewing investigation results. In Morrow County on Monday, a sheriff's deputy, Daniel Weston Sherrer, 31, was shot and killed after responding to a domestic situation call, according to Morrow County Sheriffs Office in Mt. Gilead, Ohio. "Our county is a closely-tied community which has always supported its law enforcement agencies and that backing is evident during this time of grief," a statement read. The subject was also shot and was transported to a hospital in serious condition. The incident remains an active investigation.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man killed in Middletown police shooting identified
May 28—Investigators Wednesday continued their investigation into a Middletown police officer-involved shooting that killed a man and injured a woman Tuesday morning at a home on Garden Avenue. Michael Anthony Baker Jr., 47, of Middletown was the man killed by police, according the Butler County Coroner's Office. The police officers involved in the shooting have not been identified by the Middletown Police Department, citing Marsy's Law. They have been placed on paid administrative leave. The incident occurred around 7:20 a.m. during the execution of a search warrant by police officers during a drug investigation. No officers were injured in the shooting in the 900 block of Garden Avenue, according to investigators, and the investigation has been turned over to Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Daniel Hils of Frontline Advisors, which represents the Middletown Fraternal Order of Police, said officers made "numerous" announcements on who they were before breaching the door. Baker came to the door and allegedly pointed a handgun at the police officers when he was shot, according to Hils. "Being involved in something like this is not in anybody's plan, and nobody wants to face that type of life and death situation," Hils said. There were other search warrants that were happening in and out of Middletown and more may be coming, Hils said. A woman in the house was injured from bullet shrapnel to her ankle, according to Hils. She was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Garden Avenue was blocked off by police tape between Woodside Boulevard and Pine Street for more than 10 hours on Tuesday. Spencer Kidd, a neighbor, told the Journal-News he heard three gunshots after observing officers conducting the search warrant. "I was hoping nobody was hurt, but that's obviously not the case now," Kidd said. BCI will complete an independent review of the circumstances, according to Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser. The investigation will then be transferred to Gmoser, who will present evidence to the Butler County Grand Jury. "I applaud Chief Nelson for getting BCI involved," Gmoser said. This is an ongoing investigation, and more details are to come, including the name of injured woman and body cam footage, which will not be released until the case has been presented to Grand Jury. This is the third police-involved shooting in Middletown since February 2023. A Butler County grand jury declined to issue any criminal charges against a Middletown police officer who fatally shot a man who opened an apartment door holding a gun on Christmas Eve 2024 at Olde Towne Apartment complex. Christopher Gorak, 50, died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Butler County Coroner's Office. Investigation of the incident indicates Gorak was also "heavily intoxicated," according to the county prosecutor's office. "(The grand jury) determined that no indictment alleging criminal conduct against any involved officer should be issued and that the death of Christopher Gorak was justified," Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said. In April 2023, Middletown police responded to the same apartment complex when they were shot at by a suspect. They returned fire and hit the suspect, wounding the man. Kyle Kellum recovered, was indicted for felonious assault involving a police officer, but found to be not guilty by reason of insanity following a bench trial in common pleas court. In February 2023, Middletown police shot and killed a man who pointed a weapon at them in the parking lot of the Walmart on Towne Boulevard. No charges were filed against the two Middletown officers in the deadly shooting. The officers' use of deadly force in the Feb. 25 shooting of 47-year-old Victor Lykins was deemed reasonable by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office, Prosecutor David Fornshell announced after reviewing investigation results. In Morrow County on Monday, a sheriff's deputy, Daniel Weston Sherrer, 31, was shot and killed after responding to a domestic situation call, according to Morrow County Sheriffs Office in Mt. Gilead, Ohio. "Our county is a closely-tied community which has always supported its law enforcement agencies and that backing is evident during this time of grief," a statement read. The subject was also shot and was transported to a hospital in serious condition. The incident remains an active investigation.
