Cop Fired For Drunken Fusillade
The Board of Police Commissioners voted
Tuesday night to fire Officer Lawrence Burns, who was arrested in April after
he allegedly sent gunshots flying into the night outside of Christopher
Martin’s pub and lied about it to a supervisor.
Burns’ hearing, which took most of the
nearly-four-hour-long board meeting and took place behind closed doors,
concluded when the civilian commissioners found him guilty of eight charges.
Police Commissioner Cathy Graves had strong
words for Burns, who remained stern and silent as the verdict was read.
“It is an honor and a privilege to serve as
a police officer,” the commissioner said. “We were quite surprised that you
would make such an error of judgement. And that error in judgment has shed a
very negative light on the New Haven police department, which is in the process
of improving. As a result, we find you guilty of all the charges brought to us
this evening.”
Approached after the hearing, Chief of
Police Dean Esserman declined comment.
“I’m going to let the department’s actions
speak for themselves,” he said.
The board’s verdict resulted in Burns’
immediate termination. Burns still faces criminal charges.
Attorney Daniel Esposito, who represented
Burns, deferred comment to the police union. A union official told the
Register’s Bill Kaempffer that the organization plans to appeal the commission’s
decision.
Drunken Shots—& An Attempted Cover Up
Officer Burns alleged made his “error in
judgement” early in the morning of April 1. Burns and two of his police academy
classmates—Charles Kim and Krzystof Ruszczyk—were unwinding at Christopher Martin’s,
the popular State Street pub.
The bar had just closed when Burns and Kim
fired their guns into the air, unleashing a wave of fear among passersby. When
asked about the incident, Burns allegedly lied to his superiors in an attempt
to cover his tracks. Read an account of the evening, including witnesses’
tales, here.
The three officers were offered a deal in
which they would take unpaid leave until their criminal cases were concluded.
Kim and Ruszcyk accepted the arrangement; Burns refused.
The fate of Kim and Ruszcyk, who remain on
unpaid leave until the criminal cases brought against them are cleared, is
still to be determined. They are both likely to face disciplinary actions
comparable to the one imposed on Burns.
“Bring Him In”
The scene at the board meeting was tense.
After brief remarks on the state of the department, Chief Esserman asked that
the board get down to business.
“Bring him in,” he said grimly.
Burns walked into the room accompanied by
Esposito, Saranne Murray—the police department’s attorney for the case—and
other participants in dark suits.
The boardroom remained eerily silent for a
few minutes, as those present shuffled papers and avoided each other’s glances.
The board then went into executive session. Reporters present at the scene were
asked to leave.
Burns, Esserman, his assistant chiefs, and
the attorneys emerged several hours later to let the board deliberate. Burns
could be seen pacing around, texting on his cellphone with a blank expression
on his face. He could not be approached for comment.
Half an a hour later, the commissioners
announced their verdict.