State police said the First Selectwoman’s request for an officer to give an intoxicated Bridgewater man a ride home wasn’t inappropriate — nor did it result in a lack of police coverage in Oxford.
Last Thursday night First Selectwoman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers, while at the Brookside Inn, asked a police officer to give a man a ride home. Drayton-Rogers told the Valley Indy last week the man had just fallen off a bar stool and that she was afraid he was going to attempt to drive while drunk.
Drayton-Rogers said she did not know the man.
Word of the incident spread among Drayton-Rogers’ political opponents last Friday.
August Palmer, a Republican who previously served as the town’s First Selectman, said Drayton-Rogers’ actions were an abuse of power.
Sgt. Dan Semosky, who supervises law enforcement in Oxford, told the Valley Indy last week he would review what transpired.
When reached for comment Wednesday, Semosky referred questions to Lt. J. Paul Vance, spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Public Safety.
“I’m done with it,” Semosky said.
Vance said a written report on the incident had not been filed — but Semosky explained what happened to Troop A Commander Lt. Eddie Bednars.
“The end result is, it did not violate any rules, laws, situations. There was never any endangerment to the people in the community. The town was completely covered by police coverage,” Vance said.
Vance said it appears that the complaints over the incident are motivated by politics.
Vance said the review is now closed. He declined to release the name of the man who was given a ride home.
Drayton-Rogers said Wednesday she stands by her action.
“It was a matter of public safety,” she said. “I feel the comments and support have been overwhelming coming in for me, and stand for themselves, and make me feel that representing this community and stepping up to do the right thing is recognized by Oxford and from outside Oxford.”
Palmer said he stands by his assertion that Drayton-Rogers abused her power.
“I would have been torn apart for that. I’m totally disgusted with the whole thing. I don’t like the way the whole thing is going, it’s horrible,” Palmer said.
The ex-First Selectman again said Drayton-Rogers should have called a cab for the drunk man.
While the town doesn’t have a taxi service, an employee at Valley Cab in Ansonia said Wednesday they cover Oxford and were on duty the night in question.
A message seeking comment was left Wednesday with David Yish, the lone Republican on the Board
