For the record, we want to make sure people reading this blog understand that we support Dan Reppucci in his endeavor to clear his name of any of the wrongdoing he has been accused of, by the Winchester Police Chief, Gary Phillips, his Lieutenant, Christopher Roberts with the help of Cheshire County Deputy Sheriff Kelvin Macie.
We do believe that Phillips was trying to set Dan Reppucci up and that he had an ulterior motive for wanting to effectively silence him by way of discrediting him and his actions.
We do believe that Phillips was going after Reppucci.
We do believe that Reppucci did have information about wrongdoing going on in the Winchester Police Department and that Reppucci was making complaints about those officers involved – Christopher Roberts and Nate Jette, in writing and to the Chief.
We do believe that Phillips refused to answer those allegations in a meaningful manner and instead made excuses time and again and over and over for those officers and then covered up their misdeeds.
The evidence is there to support that Dan Reppucci being questioned in a criminal investigation and not an internal investigation.
See Sheriff Foote letter on the matter.
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Sheriff Foote is very clear. Any internal investigation being conducted by his department or any member of his department was a figment of Phillips over active imagination and desire to thwart the truth.
The evidence is not there to support believing Phillips, Roberts and Jette.
Cops lie; they are an example of that.
We do plan on helping Dan Reppucci or anyone else who has a story to tell, get their story out.
No other explanation is needed, other than to say helping someone right a wrong, right an injustice, is the right thing to do.
Phillips has blatantly lied and contorted the truth and the circumstances surrounding the administrative suspension of Dan Reppucci and ultimately his termination from the Town of Winchester.
He did not have him terminated for no REAL or legitimate cause and was able to do so only by using his badge and position to fool those making decisions by taking advantage of their of understanding of the laws and how police investigations are conducted.
We wonder why Phillips never acted on the reports made to him by Reppucci.
We wonder why Deputy Sheriff Kelvin Macie, who was conducting a criminal investigation, didn’t stop his interview and interrogation of Reppucci, when at that exact time, Reppucci told him he was being targeted and wanted to speak with an attorney first.
We wonder why Macie thought it was OK to violate the Constitutional Rights of a Citizen when that citizen asked to speak with counsel prior to answering questions he was asking, as any citizen would have had the right to do.
This was a criminal investigation, for that purpose and that purpose alone, Reppucci was just an ordinary citizen, not a police officer, not an employee of the Town of Winchester, he was just a plain old citizen being questioned by a criminal investigator who was conducting a criminal investigation after a crime that Phillips reported that happened to have occurred where he worked.
We wonder why Macie thought he was so above the law, that he thought he could manipulate the facts and change circumstances, without any authority and without fear of getting caught.
We wonder why Macie didn’t just halt the questioning, stop the questions, postpone the interview then and there. As all police officers would have to do whenever a person they are questioning states they no longer wish to speak to them without first getting advice of counsel.
We wonder why instead, Macie threatened to get Phillips, Reppucci’s boss and then ultimately did. Since when does one’s employer get involved in outside police criminal investigations being conducted on one of it’s employees? Ever.
We wonder why Phillips then interjected himself into and got involved with a criminal investigation and then tried to manipulate an outcome by giving an order to cooperate, as if he had authority to do so.
Acriminal investigation being conducted at his request, after he reported a break in and theft at his office, in which Reppucci was now being questioned about, not by Phillips, but by an outside criminal investigator.
Citizens can’t be ordered to cooperate in crimainal investigations ever or by anyone.
If the police could order any of us at any time to cooperate and answer their questions, without regard to constitutional rights we would always be at that their mercy.
That’s why we looked upon as a civilized country with rules and laws.
One reason for so much case law in this country is because abuse of power (ie. Miranda v Arizona).
Didn’t Phillips say the purpose of calling in another agency was so that there would be no bias?
We then we wonder why Phillips didn’t allow Reppucci time to talk to an attorney.
We wonder why Phillips was so quick to suspend Reppucci, immediately and deny him what his very employment policy allowed for. Consultation with an attorney whenever there was a dispute involving an employee and charges levied against them by the department allowed for that opportunity even during internal investigations.
So no matter what kind of an investigation is going on an employee has rights, except if Phillips is calling the shots.
After all, according to Phillips and in his own words he immediately suspended Reppucci because he refused to obey a lawful order issued by a superior officer, (himself) and to immediately answer questions during an internal affairs inestigations after being given an Administrative Warning.
We wonder why Phillips lied about the fact that it was a criminal investigation and instead calls Macie’s criminal investigation an internal investigation.
The only logical purpose for that would be for being deceitful and for deceiving all involved, including the public.
Even the Winchester policy states that the only time or reason why an outside agency is called in is for criminal investigations.
So Phillips contradicts his own policies.
That was a complaint previously made by Reppucci about Phillips, that he was selective in his use and enforcement of Winchester Police Department Policy’s.
What harm to Phillips if he were being truthful and honest, to give Reppucci lets say a day, a week, a month whatever it took to go get advice from counsel when you were accusing him of doing something illegal and told him what the charges were?
Quite frankly it makes no sense.
We do believe the reason is because a lawyer would have pointed out that it wasn’t a lawful order, it wasn’t an internal investigation and requiring an employee to cooperate with criminal investigators investigation or lose their jobs is unlawful.
The reason for Phillips extreme behavior seems very simple, any attorney would have picked apart both Macie’s and Phillips actions and shenanigans and told them both, as well as their employers, in no uncertain terms they were violating the law and the constitutional rights of a citizen, among other things.
Starting with the bogus Administrative Warning document, on Sheriff’s Department Lettherhead, that a criminal investigator tried to use to get Reppucci to talk, even when he said he would but, not until he got advice from counsel.
An approved Sheriff’s Office Administrative Warning no less.
See link:
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Is the Sheriff’s Office now in the habit of a approving and creating Administrative Warnings for people who they are conducting criminal interrogations on?
What would be the purpose or point? The Sheriff’s Department has no control over an employer or an employee for that matter.
See link: about 7 lines down from top.
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We don’t have to wonder why Phillips couldn’t follow the law or his policies or the town’s policies.
We don’t have to wonder why Phillips couldn’t tell the truth.
The truth would have hurt Phillips, that’s why Phillips couldn’t tell the truth.
Phillips would have had to explain why he let Roberts and Jette do as they pleased as they went about the business of not following policies, co-horting and plotting together to target other officers and then ultimately to cover up crimes for each other.
Now that the truth is coming out, Phillips will have to live with the consequences of the public knowing that he has lied, manipulated and cheated for the purpose of saving his own hide and the hide of his co-conspirators.
Phillips hasn’t given one shred of evidence to support that what he did was on the up and up and truthful and honest.
The evidence would support that he was on the up and up and there is absolutely no record or shred of evidence anywhere in support of him.
He entire story, presented at a termination hearing, Superior Court and Unemployment Hearing was all based on untruths, false accusations, mistruths, fabrications and manipulation of facts.
The evidence supports a Chief out of control, a Chief that is manipulative and more important, a Chief that feels entitlement and truly believes he is above the law.
Roberts and Jette are of the same caliber.
We do wonder why the selectmen after being approached and informed about the problems going in the police department did absolutely nothing to look into the matter or speak to the allegations that were being made.
But the absolute biggest question we have is, Why didn’t either Macie or Phillips record the entire interview and interrogation of Reppucci and the other Town employee,former Town Administrator Bob Gray to beign with?
Especially since Phillips has tried to portray that the recording procedure was common practice.
That really makes us question Phillips motives. Especially since Bob Gray’s testimony and Phillips testimony is contradictory to each other.
Why then for an investigation so important, in Phillips own words, he needed help in investigating it and sought assistance from the Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office, didn’t he ensure that there would be proof beyond doubt that he was protecting the rights of an employee and that he was committed to a truthful and transparent outcome in that investigation?
1 comment:
I’m sick & tired of hearing people who live off of & work in our Town deny, deny, deny. They are corrupt & their interests are about themselves & not the rest of us. The reason for the numerous lawsuits isn’t because people are frivolous, it’s because the Town has a bunch of employees who hide, lie, cheat, steal & cover-up to get away with things. I’ve lived here my whole life & seen it all. But this stuff takes the cake. The selectmen have done nothing to protect the taxpayers from the onslaught & just sit back for the ride. Maybe because of the kickbacks they are getting. Maggie is a disgrace & her antics are criminal. A bunch of liars & incompetents runs the Police Dept, who some have even lied & cheated to go after citizens & their own employees. The highway dept employees have a free rein & escape having to be accountable & then get protected & things get covered up. There’s proof to back these statements up. I didn’t just wing this out there. I’ve taken the time to look at the documents on both blogs & read what they have to say. If there is proof to back up these statements then how can people in Town Hall call everyone else the problem? The problem is them & the lawsuits aren’t likely to stop until the day comes they aren’t necessary. I can’t fight someone else’s fight but I can support their endeavor, so to that end I support those that are fighting back for a chance to be heard.
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