Complaint Filed Over Police Traffic Stop

By Andrew Gorosko

A local woman has lodged a complaint with the Police Commission, objecting to how police handled a motor vehicle pullover of her son early this year, and how police then handled her son’s formal complaint on the matter.

Resident Wendy Beres of 15 Turkey Hill Road detailed her complaints to Police Commission members at an October 2 session.

Ms Beres son, Matthew Whitney Beres, who is now attending college, was pulled over by police on Route 34 in Sandy Hook on the night of February 18. Ms Beres alleges that police verbally intimidated her son as they sought to search the 1990 Lincoln Town Car that he was driving, including its trunk. The auto carried several passengers.

“During this search, [the] car was damaged. My son was quite distressed at the manner in which police handled themselves – that he was intimidated into having a search conducted. He therefore made a formal complaint,” Ms Beres wrote, adding that she also filed a complaint, charging that police damaged the Lincoln.

Ms Beres charges that several days after the pullover, when her son was making a formal complaint about how police handled the vehicle pullover and search, police verbally abused her son in the lobby at the police station amid the comings and goings of members of the public. She further charges that the police investigation into her son’s complaint contained many inaccuracies and omissions. Ms Beres criticizes the police’s handling of her son’s complaint, charging that their work was inadequate.

Ms Beres has posed more than 20 formal questions to the Police Commission, seeking information pertaining to the February motor vehicle pullover and to her son’s ensuing complaint against police. She demands that police make a public apology to her son and states that her son may pursue his complaint against Newtown police via an external investigation conducted by another, higher law enforcement agency.

Ms Beres also is seeking financial restitution for damage that police allegedly did to the Lincoln in searching it.

“I’ve always supported the police…I think there’s a real problem here…It involves multiple officers,” Ms Beres said. “Matthew was not treated well and I didn’t think that was right.”

Police Commission Chairman James Reilly said that a police department internal investigation into the Beres’ complaints exonerated the officers involved in the case. He added that Police Commission members will review information presented to them by Ms Beres, as well as police department internal investigation reports stemming from the case.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said that if police damaged the Lincoln in any way, it was not done intentionally. The damage involves an air suspension system that was in use on the former limousine.

“This is a very convoluted investigation that needs to be seriously looked at...There’s a lot to this that needs to be looked at,” Ms Beres said.

Chief Kehoe declined comment October 3, adding that the matter is under review.