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Pastimes : Murder Mystery: Who Killed Yale Student Suzanne Jovin? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jeffrey S. Mitchell who wrote (754)	4/27/2000 6:59:00 AM
From: Jeffrey S. Mitchell	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1397

Re: New Haven police investigated for possible criminal misconduct Police investigation under way over murder evidence By William Kaempffer, Register Staff April 27, 2000 NEW HAVEN ? Police have launched an internal probe into whether authorities here withheld evidence from North Haven police in a murder case. Meanwhile, officials from the State?s Attorney?s office were waiting to see whether a final judge would approve a grand jury investigation into potential criminal misconduct by New Haven police in the matter. Wednesday, Capt. Brian Kearney, head of the department?s Internal Values and Ethics division, summoned at least one supervisor from the detective bureau and one detective to give sworn statements about the case, police said. The supervisor, Sgt. Direk Rodgers, was shift supervisor in the bureau the night two detectives obtained the taped statement in 1998 that is at the center of the controversy. Rodgers already has given a statement to the State?s Attorney?s office but is not considered a target of the investigation. Detective Stephen P. Coppola also gave a statement. Kearney also was expected to call Detective Edwin Rodriguez, among others. Police Chief Melvin H. Wearing said Wednesday he ordered the internal investigation to try to get to the bottom of the allegations. "My job is to get to the truth of the matter, to see if there was any wrongdoing on the part of any member of this department," Wearing said. "This is just an inquiry to see what?s going on." The police probe would run parallel to a potential grand jury investigation. Earlier this year, State?s Attorney Michael Dearington began an investigation into whether New Haven police supervisors withheld information about the murder of a North Haven man. Last month, he requested a grand jury investigate possible criminal actions. To secure a grand jury, a panel of three Superior Court judges must sign off on the evidence. At that point, Chief Court Administrator Robert C. Leuba appoints the jury, which has the ability to subpoena witnesses. The State?s Attorney cannot compel people to make statements. Currently, two judges have signed off on the grand jury and Dearington is awaiting the third?s decision, sources said. Grand juries are rare in Connecticut and generally consist of a one-judge panel. Contacted Wednesday, Dearington would not comment on the status of the grand jury or New Haven?s internal probe. The investigations stem from a 1996 murder. Police believe the victim, Phillip Cusick, 23, was shot in New Haven and his body dumped in North Haven across from his house. North Haven detectives focused on the city?s Fair Haven section as the site of the shooting but the investigation languished and no arrest was made. In 1998 however, Coppola and Rodriguez interrogated a potential witness to the slaying who allegedly implicated the killer, sources said. The detectives took a taped statement, had it transcribed, and gave the information to their superiors, sources said. Dearington is investigating if those superiors withheld the information from North Haven investigators. Last week, police started an internal probe, calling in Coppola, Rodriguez and a third detective for statements. The sources said the department delayed the probe when union officials questioned whether the officers were under a gag order imposed by Dearington. Dearington was on vacation last week. The internal affairs unit can compel officers to provide statements, although those statements would not be admissible in court. Contacted Wednesday, Kearney said he could not comment. ¸New Haven Register 2000 zwire.com