Cop demoted, won't lose job
Suspended Schenectady sergeant pleads guilty to DWI in hit-and-run crash
BETHLEHEM — A suspended Schenectady sergeant will
be demoted but will keep his job after pleading guilty Tuesday to driving while
intoxicated in an off-duty hit-and-run accident, according to individuals
familiar with the case.
Sgt. William Fennell admitted to the misdemeanor
before Bethlehem Town Justice Ryan Donovan.
Fennell's driver's license will remain revoked
for six months, and for a year he will have to blow into an ignition-locking
device before he starts his car to ensure he has not had too much to drink.
Fennell may not drive his truck for the year because the order for the ignition
lock applies to only one vehicle. After his license is reinstated, Fennell will
return to work as a patrolman and be allowed to drive a police vehicle because
city officials consented to waiving the ignition-lock stipulation, according to
people familiar with the situation.
Assistant Albany County District Attorney Renee
Merges said the DWI conviction is a "policy disposition." "When
you refuse a Breathalyzer test, you do not get the benefit of a reduced
offer," Merges said.
The police department issued a statement that
Fennell will remain on unpaid leave while his license is revoked. An internal
affairs investigation is under way.
Fennell's attorney, Kevin O'Brien, said he
expects his client, who is 39 and has 11 years on the force, will be able to
resume his career in law enforcement.
"It places no barriers for him to go back to
work," Kevin O'Brien said of the sentence, adding that Fennell has learned
from his mistake and spoke with police recruits at the academy about the perils
of drinking and driving.
"He's nothing but a standup guy who made a
mistake, and deserves a second chance."
Police Chief Mark Chaires said officials hope to
soon resolve the issues regarding Fennell's return to his job. "We are in
discussions, the mayor, Commissioner (Wayne) Bennett and myself, with the union
regarding his future with the agency," Chaires said.
In the past, the department has fired officers
for similar offenses in its efforts to restore public confidence in the police.
In August, Fennell was one of three officers who
fired his weapon in the fatal shooting of Luis Rivera, an armed suspect in a
police pursuit. Fennell was cleared of wrongdoing.