A lawyer representing the Ansonia police officer on medical leave while the state police investigate “irregularities” within the department’s evidence room urged the public to reserve judgment in the case.
Daniel Esposito, a Hamden-based lawyer, said Friday he’d been retained by Officer Matthew Macero, a decorated 12-year police department veteran who is on medical leave.
Police Chief Kevin Hale announced last week that he had asked state police to conduct an independent criminal investigation into unspecified “irregularities” in the department’s processing of evidence. Hale also said Ansonia police were conducting an internal investigation of their own in the case.
The day of Hale’s announcement, Mayor James Della Volpe said that the investigation was thus far limited to a single police officer, but declined to be more specific.
Esposito released a statement Friday that in part disputed accounts of the investigation published in the Valley Indy Thursday and New Haven Register Friday.
“Any characterization of Officer Macero as being at the ‘center’ of an IA investigation currently under way at the Ansonia Police Department is misleading and inflammatory, as is the claim that he was ‘escorted’ out of police headquarters,” Esposito’s statement said.
“Officer Macero has not been accused of anything; Officer Macero has not been charged with anything. Officer Macero has not been questioned by investigators,” the statement went on. “Officer Macero’s absence from duty is medically related.
“Officer Macero and his family have retained my firm in order to safeguard their rights and interests,” the statement continued. “To that end we have been in contact with both the Ansonia Police Department’s internal affairs division as well as the CT State Police Western District Major Crime squad and will maintain that contact throughout the duration of the investigations.
“I encourage everyone to reserve judgment as this case is still in its infancy and to do otherwise would lead to the uncorroborated tarnishment of this officer’s otherwise stellar career,” Esposito’s statement concluded.
Reached by phone Friday afternoon and asked to comment further, Esposito declined.
Last week the Valley Indy sent a request under the state’s Freedom of Information law to city officials seeking access to Macero’s personnel file.
The city’s corporation counsel asked for an extension to some time next week to allow time for Macero and his union to respond.
