A suspended city police officer on paid administrative leave has filed an ethics complaint against Chief Joel Hurliman.
The complaint will be reviewed by the city’s Board of Ethics at a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday. The review will be conducted in a closed session, according to the meeting agenda.
The ethics complaint was filed by Loren Casertano, a city police officer who also has a federal civil rights lawsuit pending against the chief.
Federal Case
In the federal case, Casertano alleges he was targeted by police department brass for speaking out about corruption within the Shelton Police Department. Click here to read more details about the lawsuit.
Casertano was arrested by state police in 2008 for after police said he tried to extort money from a friend of his daughter’s.
He faces charges of fifth-degree larceny and conspiracy to fabricate evidence.
Casertano pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his court case is set to head toward a trial. His next scheduled court appearance is Jan. 18 at Superior Court in Derby.
Efforts to reach Casertano weren’t successful Wednesday. Two messages seeking comment were left with his attorney, Norm Pattis.
Casertano is on a paid administrative leave from the department.
Ethics Complaint
Hurliman confirmed Wednesday that an ethics complaint had been filed against him.
“The complaint is baseless,” Hurliman said, without going into detail about the specifics of the ethics complaint.
The ethics complaint was filed the last week of December. It was the only complaint filed in 2010, and the first complaint filed since 2007, according to minutes from Board of Ethics meetings posted online.
