POLICE OFFICER REPRIMANDED, SUSPENDED FOR CONDUCT
GREGORY SEAY; Courant Staff WriterTHE HARTFORD COURANT
The police department's second-in-command served a two-day suspension and received a letter of reprimand for verbally harassing his ex-wife's boyfriend, the department revealed Thursday.
The state recently dropped charges of second-degree harassment after Sgt. Garritt A. Kelly, 37, of Portland, underwent counseling for anger management.
In the June 26 letter of reprimand, Chief Matthew Reimondo said Kelly's conduct violated department policies. Kelly served the unpaid suspensions on June 29 and July 2.
"Your conduct ... constitutes a serious violation of the East Hampton Police Department's rules and regulations regarding standards of conduct," Reimondo wrote in the letter of reprimand.
The chief said Kelly violated department rules regarding code of ethics and conformance to laws and rules, and engaged in conduct unbecoming an officer.
He also ordered the letter to stay in Kelly's personnel file until July 1, 2004, after which it will be removed if Kelly doesn't further violate department policies.
In June, Reimondo and Kelly, on the advice of the town's personnel attorney, refused The Courant's request for access to the disciplinary action. The attorney also denied the newspaper's request.
The Courant has filed a complaint with the state Freedom of Information Commission over the denials. Thursday's release of an internal investigative report and letter of reprimand came after Kelly signed papers giving the department permission to release them.
According to the department's internal report, Kelly was arrested by Portland police in February after leaving a profane and threatening voice-mail message for Dr. Joseph Coatti of Portland, the live-in boyfriend of Kelly's ex-wife, Jan Landry.
Kelly admitted to his acts and apologized, the report states. Kelly agreed to enroll in a counseling program recommended by the state's attorney's office in exchange for dropping the charges.
Kelly could not be reached Thursday for comment.
With the court case and department discipline resolved, Reimondo said he considers the matter closed.
"We want the department and Sgt. Kelly to move forward and put this behind us and go on from here," the chief said.