Monday, October 13, 2008

Trooper Mark Piccirillo Suspended for Domestic Violence

The resident state police trooper in Bethlehem has been suspended after Naugatuck police arrested him in connection with a domestic violence dispute with his wife at the couple's home last week.

Trooper Mark Piccirillo, 48, of 24 City Brook Road, was charged by Naugatuck police with misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault and breach of peace after the incident, which occurred in the couple's home on Thursday. The trooper's wife, Mary Piccirillo, 49, of the same address, faces the same charges.

The Naugatuck Police Department would not release a report of the incident on Tuesday. The Republican-American has filed a request for the report through the Freedom of Information Act.

Attempts to reach Piccirillo on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Although little is known about what happened during the domestic dispute, state law says a third-degree assault charge, the most serious charge the Piccirillos face, can be levied if a person causes physical injury to another person.

According to documents on file at Waterbury Superior Court, Piccirillo and his wife posted separate $200 cash bonds at the police department on Thursday night and were arraigned at the courthouse on Friday.

Their case was remanded to Family Court Services of Waterbury, and the Piccirillos have signed court-imposed protective orders that say they will refrain from "imposing any physical restraint upon the person or liberty of the protected person" and from "threatening, harassing, stalking, assaulting, molesting, sexually assaulting or attacking the protected person."

Mark Piccirillo, who has been a state trooper in Bethlehem for at least 13 years, was ordered by the court to not possess any firearms, including all weapons issued to him by the Connecticut State Police.

Lt. J. Paul Vance, the state police spokesman, said Piccirillo's police powers have been suspended and that Piccirillo has been reassigned to undisclosed administrative duty, which requires him to have no contact with the public.

Vance said state police will conduct an internal affairs investigation of the case.

Vance also said another trooper from state police Troop L in Litchfield has been assigned to be the acting resident state trooper in Bethlehem "pending the outcome of this incident."

Vance did not immediately know Tuesday which trooper replaced Piccirillo.

http://www.rep-am.com

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