Records
show no other allegations for cop charged with stalking
Documents
released to Greenwich Time from the personnel file of Donnell Fludd, the
Greenwich police officer charged with stalking a former love interest, reveal
no other allegations of harassment since Fludd became a police officer in 2004.
Fludd,
43, was charged in February with second-degree stalking, second-degree
harassment and disorderly conduct, all misdemeanors, after a 32-year-old town
woman filed a complaint about his behavior on Nov. 6.
The
department subsequently launched an internal affairs investigation into the
complaint. That investigation is ongoing and Fludd remains on paid
administrative leave, police said.
Darnell
D. Crosland, Fludd's attorney, said in a statement that the allegations against
Fludd do not reflect the way he has conducted himself throughout his life.
"On
behalf of my client Donnell Fludd, it is important to note that if and when his
personnel file is obtained, it will be made clear that the allegations against
him are not in conformity with his reputation both on and off the job,"
Crosland said. "Officer Fludd has been on the job almost 10 years and as
such has arrested a good number of people based on allegations of complaining
witnesses. He has never played Judge nor jury but instead relied on the court
and the judicial process to play its role and is doing the same in this
case."
Documents
from Fludd's file, obtained by Greenwich Time following a Freedom of
Information Act request, include two minor complaints from town residents and numerous
commendations about Fludd's performance, both on and off the job.
Gregory
S. Hannigan, director of general services for the town, noted that, according
to state statute, materials related to pre-employment psychological testing,
polygraph examinations and background investigations are exempt from public
disclosure. Records that pertain to open investigations are also exempt from
disclosure, he said.
The
first disclosed complaint stemmed from a March 2010 ticket Fludd issued to a
town resident who was using his cell phone while driving. The man initially
complained about how Fludd acted during the motor vehicle stop, but later said
he was upset at receiving a ticket and admitted Fludd had not mistreated him or
acted rudely. Police found that Fludd did not violate any laws or procedures
and deemed the complaint unfounded.
The
second complaint arose from an alarm call at a Greenwich house to which Fludd
responded. The homeowner later complained that responding officers missed an
open door that triggered the alarm. Police determined that responding officers
should have discovered the open door and closed the matter with no additional
complaint from the homeowner.
Many
of the documents in Fludd's file commend him for his work in the community,
both as an officer and a public citizen. The Department of Social Services
thanked Fludd and other Greenwich officers for their charitable work during the
holiday season, according to the personnel file, and residents have sent
letters to the police department applauding Fludd's work with Greenwich Flag
Football League, which he co-founded. Residents also sent Fludd letters
thanking him for his positive on-the-job demeanor, according to his file.
Crosland
said Fludd is cooperating fully with the investigation.
"He
would like the community to know that it's not him against the Greenwich Police
Department," Crosland said. "He is a part of the GPD and wouldn't
expect anything less from the GPD in investigating all complaints, even those
against its own. My client is confident that he will be exonerated of these
charges, and holds no ill feelings for the complaining witness, nor the
Greenwich Police Department."
In
a 19-page affidavit filed in state Superior Court in Stamford, the woman
described various ways in which Fludd allegedly stalked and harassed her over a
period of nearly a year, despite her requests to stop. The woman told police
there were several instances in which Fludd used his position as a police
officer, his large size and his knowledge of firearms to intimidate her,
according to the affidavit.
Fludd,
who acknowledged he had a relationship with the woman, said he never physically
harmed her, tried to intimidate her, or took his gun out in front of her in a
threatening manner, according to the affidavit.
A
state Superior Court judge in Stamford issued a protective order in February
mandating that Fludd avoid all contact with the woman.
Greenwich
police have said they will not comment further on the case.
Fludd
appeared March 27 in state Superior Court in Stamford, where his case was
transferred to state Superior Court in Bridgeport. He is scheduled to appear
there April 25.