Trooper Suspended 15 Days Response To 911 Call Called Inappropriate By TRACY GORDON FOX Courant Staff Writer March 22, 2005 A state trooper was suspended for 15 days without pay Monday for telling the friend of a seriously injured motorcyclist "too bad," and hanging up on him when he called 911 for help last August. State police said Trooper Robert Peasley's behavior did not affect the response time to the accident or contribute to the death of Justin Sawyer, 21, of Bozrah. Sawyer died of head injuries several days after the crash in Bozrah. "The investigation revealed inappropriate and unprofessional language," said Sgt. J. Paul Vance, a state police spokesman. "The investigation revealed that despite the comments, state police and emergency service arrived promptly." But state police Commissioner Leonard C. Boyle said residents expect more from the state police when they call for help. "When someone reports a serious incident on a 911 call, the person receiving that call has an obligation to receive information, convey information back to that person and do so in a respectful manner," Boyle said Monday. Sawyer's family hired a lawyer, complained to state police, and requested the tape of the incident after learning what the trooper had said to Sawyer's friend. No lawsuit has been filed. Sawyer's family could not be reached for comment Monday. Peasley, who was working the dispatch desk in the Troop E barracks in Montville, was punished after an internal affairs investigation for several offenses, including conduct unbecoming a police officer, inefficient action and lack of decorum, police said. The trooper hung up on the caller because he apparently thought he had received several other calls about the same incident. But Boyle said the investigation showed that the call from the friend was the first Troop E received for that accident. It also showed that Peasley was rude to a second caller who reported the accident, telling him Sawyer "shouldn't have been riding that way." Union officials said they will fight to reduce the punishment, especially considering that Peasley, an 18-year veteran, has a good record and had not previously been in trouble. "It's a tragedy. But the discipline imposed is extremely harsh and not warranted," union President David LeBlanc said Monday. LeBlanc said Peasley and the one civilian dispatcher on duty on the evening of Aug. 17 were swamped with calls from another accident and several other incidents. LeBlanc said the incident illustrates the stress on dispatchers and troopers who man the desks at the busiest barracks. "It's out of control, and the agency has refused to staff it appropriately," LeBlanc said. Boyle said the department is looking into ways to better handle 911 calls. "In this instance, the investigation established the trooper had the opportunity and should have taken and provided more information," Boyle said. Copyright © 2005, The Hartford Courant "A man compounded of law and gospel is able to cheat a whole country with his religion and destroy them under color of law." Benjamin Franklin
