Matthew Macero, a former Ansonia police officer who pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from the police department’s evidence room, was ordered by a judge last month to write a letter to the Valley Indy explaining his actions. The letter, sent by his lawyer to the Valley Indy Wednesday, is below.
I come before the Court ashamed; I allowed my fear to overwhelm my judgment and in doing so created a great deal of heartache for a great number of people.
Please know that this was never my intent. I have not been well since November 2013. At that time, I seriously re-injured a back injury during a foot pursuit of a suspect. Though I complied with all prescribed medical treatment, the pain and weakness from the injury persisted. I attempted to work through the pain and convalesce the weakness. Unsuccessful, I turned to pain medication, first prescribed, then self-administered in what I will term the worst decision of my life, I took pain medication from the police department’s evidence room and used it to treat my pain.
In doing so, I breached my oath of service and betrayed my co-workers, family, and those whom I was sworn to protect. I acted alone; no one knew of my deed or helped in any way. The citizens of Ansonia should know that my actions should in no way cast a shadow on the integrity of the police department.
I realize now that I was naive to the risks that pain medication created. I should have been more vigilant. I should have been more humble. I should have let people in rather than shut them out. Though I fear that I will never be able to restore the trust that I have broken, and though I know that my career in law enforcement must permanently come to an end, I will never stop trying to rehabilitate the damage caused by my decision.
I am profoundly sorry.
