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Saturday, November 20, 2004
On-duty correction officer arrested
Fitchburg chief backs patrolwoman's action
By Christina E. Sanchez Telegram & Gazette Staff
FITCHBURG- An on-duty Worcester County Sheriff's Department correction officer was arrested Thursday after he allegedly failed to stop his sport utility vehicle for a Fitchburg police officer, sparking a debate over whether the arresting officer's actions were warranted.
Joseph F. Coggans, 37, was charged with failing to stop for police, disorderly conduct, refusing to identify himself, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, assault with a dangerous weapon (gun) and resisting arrest. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Fitchburg District Court next week on a yet-to-be-decided day, according to a court official.
Fitchburg Police Chief Edward F. Cronin is standing behind his officers' actions that led to the arrest.
Meanwhile, the sheriff's office will investigate to determine if the Fitchburg officers' traffic stop was warranted and if the stop impeded the correction officer from doing his job of transporting a prisoner, according to Edward F. O'Brien, lawyer for the sheriff's department.
Mr. O'Brien said officials from Fitchburg District Court called the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction on Thursday for an officer to come get a prisoner, who was acting unruly in the courthouse jail.
"They made a special trip at the request of a judge because a prisoner was creating a disturbance in the jail cell. The Fitchburg Police Department should be asked what was the purpose in stopping the police van that was carrying a prisoner," Mr. O'Brien said.
"It would appear right now that the Fitchburg police officer interfered with him and his official duties. Stopping a van with a prisoner in it is one of the most dangerous things to do," he said.
Officer Joanne M. Bairos, who works for the department's traffic division, saw a Ford Explorer SUV from the sheriff's department with flashing lights allegedly driving erratically across the Water Street Bridge about 4 p.m. Thursday. Officer Bairos was driving in the opposite direction in an unmarked car that is used for traffic enforcement, according to Chief Cronin.
Officer Bairos called the Fitchburg police dispatcher to find out what was happening because she was not aware of an emergency in the city. She was concerned with the way the SUV was driving, Chief Cronin said.
The dispatcher informed her that the SUV was going to the courthouse to pick up a prisoner. Officer Paul M. McNamara went to the courthouse and approached Mr. Coggans and asked him to wait for Officer Bairos to arrive.
"Officer Bairos went to the scene, and they got into a conversation. Mr. Coggans was not cooperative," Chief Cronin said, declining to give details of the conversation.
He said Mr. Coggans went into the courthouse. Officers McNamara and Bairos informed the station supervisor, Sgt. Jeffrey J. Howe, of the events that occurred. Sgt. Howe asked that any officer who saw the SUV leaving the city notify him and he would stop the vehicle.
Sgt. Howe located the SUV on Boulder Drive and activated the flashing lights on his cruiser to stop the vehicle. There was a county prisoner transport van driving behind the SUV that immediately pulled over. The SUV stopped near Walton and Pine streets about one mile from Boulder Drive, Chief Cronin said.
"Sgt. Howe tried to identify him. Mr. Coggans refused to cooperate, and several other officers came to the scene. Officers at the scene have every reason to expect that when a person is stopped by a police officer that, regardless of who they are, they surrender their license," Chief Cronin said.
Another correction officer also was in the vehicle and cooperated with the officers, he said. Mr. Coggans was arrested about 5 p.m. and later released on personal recognizance.
This is the second arrest in a month of an employee of the Worcester County Sheriff's Department. A guard at the House of Correction in West Boylston was arrested earlier this month by Gardner and state police and charged with kidnapping and raping a woman.
Chief Cronin said he supports the actions of his officers 100 percent. "From reading the report, the facts speak for themselves. Officer Bairos is one of the most dedicated officers in the city. She takes traffic enforcement very seriously," he said.
"I think this could have been put to rest by the correction officer by explaining his business and identifying himself. Our investigation indicates that there was no emergency. If someone was cutting through traffic and driving in the manner as Officer Bairos indicated in her report, there was no reason for that," Chief Cronin said.
Mr. O'Brien said the sheriff's office will decide when the investigation is complete what actions, if any, would be taken against Mr. Coggans. "They're (the correction officers) saying that the stop was unwarranted. And if the information I have is correct, which I believe it is, when the vehicle was stopped the (Fitchburg) officers pulled out their revolvers and pointed them at the corrections officer. As far as reprimanding, we will wait until the investigation is complete and we get all the facts and statements as far as people involved," Mr. O'Brien said.
Chief Cronin said this is the first incident in which a Fitchburg police officer has arrested a correction officer from the sheriff's department, which, he added, has had a good relationship with the city of Fitchburg.
"The union supported Sheriff (John M.) Flynn in the sheriff's race. Many of our officers worked at the House of Correction before they came here. Even Flynn used to be a Fitchburg police officer," Chief Cronin said, referring to the Fitchburg native.
And the thin blue line gets alittle thinner!!!
On-duty correction officer arrested
Fitchburg chief backs patrolwoman's action
By Christina E. Sanchez Telegram & Gazette Staff
FITCHBURG- An on-duty Worcester County Sheriff's Department correction officer was arrested Thursday after he allegedly failed to stop his sport utility vehicle for a Fitchburg police officer, sparking a debate over whether the arresting officer's actions were warranted.
Joseph F. Coggans, 37, was charged with failing to stop for police, disorderly conduct, refusing to identify himself, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, assault with a dangerous weapon (gun) and resisting arrest. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Fitchburg District Court next week on a yet-to-be-decided day, according to a court official.
Fitchburg Police Chief Edward F. Cronin is standing behind his officers' actions that led to the arrest.
Meanwhile, the sheriff's office will investigate to determine if the Fitchburg officers' traffic stop was warranted and if the stop impeded the correction officer from doing his job of transporting a prisoner, according to Edward F. O'Brien, lawyer for the sheriff's department.
Mr. O'Brien said officials from Fitchburg District Court called the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction on Thursday for an officer to come get a prisoner, who was acting unruly in the courthouse jail.
"They made a special trip at the request of a judge because a prisoner was creating a disturbance in the jail cell. The Fitchburg Police Department should be asked what was the purpose in stopping the police van that was carrying a prisoner," Mr. O'Brien said.
"It would appear right now that the Fitchburg police officer interfered with him and his official duties. Stopping a van with a prisoner in it is one of the most dangerous things to do," he said.
Officer Joanne M. Bairos, who works for the department's traffic division, saw a Ford Explorer SUV from the sheriff's department with flashing lights allegedly driving erratically across the Water Street Bridge about 4 p.m. Thursday. Officer Bairos was driving in the opposite direction in an unmarked car that is used for traffic enforcement, according to Chief Cronin.
Officer Bairos called the Fitchburg police dispatcher to find out what was happening because she was not aware of an emergency in the city. She was concerned with the way the SUV was driving, Chief Cronin said.
The dispatcher informed her that the SUV was going to the courthouse to pick up a prisoner. Officer Paul M. McNamara went to the courthouse and approached Mr. Coggans and asked him to wait for Officer Bairos to arrive.
"Officer Bairos went to the scene, and they got into a conversation. Mr. Coggans was not cooperative," Chief Cronin said, declining to give details of the conversation.
He said Mr. Coggans went into the courthouse. Officers McNamara and Bairos informed the station supervisor, Sgt. Jeffrey J. Howe, of the events that occurred. Sgt. Howe asked that any officer who saw the SUV leaving the city notify him and he would stop the vehicle.
Sgt. Howe located the SUV on Boulder Drive and activated the flashing lights on his cruiser to stop the vehicle. There was a county prisoner transport van driving behind the SUV that immediately pulled over. The SUV stopped near Walton and Pine streets about one mile from Boulder Drive, Chief Cronin said.
"Sgt. Howe tried to identify him. Mr. Coggans refused to cooperate, and several other officers came to the scene. Officers at the scene have every reason to expect that when a person is stopped by a police officer that, regardless of who they are, they surrender their license," Chief Cronin said.
Another correction officer also was in the vehicle and cooperated with the officers, he said. Mr. Coggans was arrested about 5 p.m. and later released on personal recognizance.
This is the second arrest in a month of an employee of the Worcester County Sheriff's Department. A guard at the House of Correction in West Boylston was arrested earlier this month by Gardner and state police and charged with kidnapping and raping a woman.
Chief Cronin said he supports the actions of his officers 100 percent. "From reading the report, the facts speak for themselves. Officer Bairos is one of the most dedicated officers in the city. She takes traffic enforcement very seriously," he said.
"I think this could have been put to rest by the correction officer by explaining his business and identifying himself. Our investigation indicates that there was no emergency. If someone was cutting through traffic and driving in the manner as Officer Bairos indicated in her report, there was no reason for that," Chief Cronin said.
Mr. O'Brien said the sheriff's office will decide when the investigation is complete what actions, if any, would be taken against Mr. Coggans. "They're (the correction officers) saying that the stop was unwarranted. And if the information I have is correct, which I believe it is, when the vehicle was stopped the (Fitchburg) officers pulled out their revolvers and pointed them at the corrections officer. As far as reprimanding, we will wait until the investigation is complete and we get all the facts and statements as far as people involved," Mr. O'Brien said.
Chief Cronin said this is the first incident in which a Fitchburg police officer has arrested a correction officer from the sheriff's department, which, he added, has had a good relationship with the city of Fitchburg.
"The union supported Sheriff (John M.) Flynn in the sheriff's race. Many of our officers worked at the House of Correction before they came here. Even Flynn used to be a Fitchburg police officer," Chief Cronin said, referring to the Fitchburg native.
And the thin blue line gets alittle thinner!!!
