I went to a court hearing in GB yesterday, the subject of which was a motion to suppress the evidence in the May 2013 drug bust of two young men at French Park because of the break-in to the evidence locker by Officers Kemp and Pezze. I wanted to see if there would be any revelations about the chaos surrounding the police department during last year. There weren't.
On the legal aspects, I suspect the judge is going to rule against the motion because he believed the testimony that the break-in didn't compromise the evidence. Officer Carlson had carefully sorted and inventoried the drug evidence and placed it in sealed plastic bags. Officers Kemp and Pezze broke in to the evidence locker and looked at what was there, but apparently didn't open or disturb the plastic bags themselves and their contents.
One of the defendants' attorneys tried to argue that the whole police department was in such a state of chaos that blame and responsibility should have fallen on the entire department and the selectmen, not just Officers Kemp and Pezze, but the judge thought that argument went too far, saying the hearing was only about whether the evidence should be suppressed, not whether a cancer had spread through government in Egremont.
Four officers testified - Shaw, Carlson, Kemp and Pezze - and it was pretty clear that they had coordinated their testimony long before the hearing. A number of questions that I had hoped would be addressed weren't. For example, the saga of Officer Pilone wasn't mentioned, nor the selectboard's rejection of Chief Shaw's recommendation that Officer Carlson be fired. And Chief Shaw testified that he had recommended Officers Kemp and Pezze be suspended and not reappointed, but never said why he had changed that recommendation or, if he didn't, why the selectboard overruled him.
So I came away from the hearing still uncertain about what really happened during 2013 but still suspicious about a cover-up. Who was involved in the cover-up remains a mystery.
The one outcome that was very clear was that Selectman Brazie's public statement at a selectman's meeting in June that "there was no break-in to an evidence locker" was comparable to another politician's statements that "if you like your health insurance you can keep it." At least that politician has apologized publicly and profusely.
And you wonder why I'm suspicious?
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4 comments:
Kemp and Pezze are mindless buffoons and should be removed from any position of authority immediately. Shaw is an absolute fool and not suited to be a security guard at the mall. The only real police officer involved is Carlson, and they tried to run him out of town. Pilone was tying to make a difference there and they railroaded him for it. Shame on everyone involved in that fiasco.
I hope the evidence gets suppressed and the police department and board of selectmen go down in flames for their wrongdoings. Anyone who cannot see that this was an obvious and blatant cover-up attempt should have their head examined.
Too bad Anonymous doesn't have the courage to it's name behind that ad hominem mudslinging.
Funny how there is no follow-up to this story when the result doesn't bolster Mr. Allen's agenda. Truth be told, the Judge ruled in this case and found that none of the evidence was compromised and that the young Part Time Officer's Peeze and Kemp had simply made a poor decision. One that they paid a very heavy price for I might ad. Chief Shaw and Officer Carlson were credited for the manner in which they handled the issue, and the Judge refused to throw out ANY of the evidence. The case will now go forward and I have a very strong suspicion that you may see a plea deal by these two idiots that were dealing drugs at our playground. How about a compliment Mr. Allen, for some very nice police work that resulted in a significant amount of very dangerous drugs being taken off the streets.
To Anonymous:
The primary reason there was no follow up is that I'm spending the winter in Colorado teaching skiing. I just happened to be back when the hearing took place.
I have no criticism of the police work in this case. Perhaps Anonymous is more an expert than I am, and therefore can evaluate whether it was "very nice police work." Even if it was, that does not excuse what the two mischievous officers did.
- Richard Allen
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