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.