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Protective order against officer remains



BRIDGEPORT -- A judge ruled Thursday that a protective order against a Greenwich police officer charged with harassing a former girlfriend will remain in place.

Judge Donna Heller made the ruling during a hearing at state Superior Court in Bridgeport.

The officer, Donnell Fludd, 44, faces charges of first-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree harassment, second-degree stalking and disorderly conduct.

Neither Fludd nor the complainant, both of whom were in court, testified. Greenwich Time does not identify complainants in domestic violence cases.

In comments after the hearing, Fludd's lawyer, Darnell Crosland, said he may appeal the ruling, but hadn't made a final decision.

"We are not taking an appeal of the table," he said.

In Thursday's sometimes contentious hearing, Crosland and Assistant State's Attorney Kevin Dunn, frequently objected to the other's questions

In his closing argument, Dunn said Fludd, who co-founded the popular, for-profit Greenwich Flag Football League, was "not evil incarnate."

However, raising his voice and pointing at the complainant, who was sitting in jury seats alongside victim's advocate Gail Wiggins, Dunn dramatically declared: "This young woman sitting in this very room is so afraid of this man," as he argued for the order to remain in place.

Dunn later apologized to the judge for raising his voice.

Crosland said the state had not offered any evidence as to why the order should remain.

"When you have nothing to argue, you argue like Attorney Dunn has done, with theory," he said.

Crosland throughout the day contested the girlfriend's recollection of events she told police.

He found fault with her previous statements about the events of Oct. 30, 2010. She said that Fludd, while in uniform, had restrained her and pulled her over about five times while in his squad car.

Crosland pointed out that, according to work records, Fludd was not working that day. He also said other alleged occurrences in which Fludd spoke to the woman while on duty could not have occurred. He said Fludd was working in the Glenville area and would have had to leave his area in order to have contact with the woman.

Crosland hinted in the courtroom that the complaints were driven by another reason, a potential lawsuit against the police department.

He said he learned the complainant had consulted with a lawyer about a lawsuit.

After the ruling, Crosland was very critical of the investigation and that charges were laid against Fludd.

"Today's hearing showed that the entire investigation was based on lies," Crosland angrily charged.

Dunn, during a break in court, said he couldn't comment on the case.

Wiggins, as well as Greenwich Police Lt. Kraig Gray, and Maurice Hill, a family relations officer in Bridgeport, also testified.

Fludd, who is on paid administrative leave from the police department, is scheduled to return to court Aug. 8 for a hearing on a defense application for a family violence program. If approved by the court, defendants who successfully complete the program have criminal charges dismissed.

In an affidavit filed at state Superior Court in Stamford, the 32-year-old Greenwich woman described various ways in which Fludd allegedly stalked and harassed her, despite her requests to stop, and told police there were several instances in which he used his position as a police officer, his large size and his knowledge of firearms to intimidate her.

The department subsequently launched an internal affairs investigation, which is ongoing.

Fludd, who acknowledged a relationship with the woman, said he never physically harmed her, tried to intimidate her, or took his gun out in front of her in a threatening manner, according to the affidavit.