These remarks invite a review of his payroll records at state Comptroller Kevin Lembo's wonderful OpenCT internet site. I am willing to bet Mr. Powell wouldnt be able to cut it. He was suspended, but was collecting about $95,000 a year in salary, according to the state Comptroller's Office,when charges were lodged against him in December 2019. Regular price $18.99 Sold out - + Add. Nicholas Rondinone can be reached at nrondinone@courant.com. The states Vehicle and Traffic law exempts the drivers of emergency vehicles from certain rules of the road, and makes it more difficult to prove negligence, when they are responding to an emergency, even if they rear-end a car in front of them. George Cole of Arcade, who was 66 at the time, and Timothy W. McCann of Depew, 70, were sitting directly in front of him. Why might Spina drive himself crazy with overwork? The findings have never been publicized, until now. Middletown, Connecticut - Wednesday, January 29, 2019: James C. Rovella, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the former Hartford Police Chief who now heads the Connecticut State Police. Nothing says I LOVE AMERICA quite like an American Flag Pin. Dont you ever f--- with me again, Spina can be heard saying as he leaves. State police said they would release more information as it becomes available. An internal affairs investigation is underway. This byline is mine, but I want my name removed. prohibit the use of this website or the information it contains to make any determinations concerning The trooper has been transferred to desk duty while his misconduct is under investigation. Matthew Spina started working at Dept of Emrg Svc & Public Prot on 29th June 2001. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. There was an error processing your request. Grow up. The Yankee Institute for Public Policy says more than 1,600 retired state employees already enjoy pensions that large. How the [expletive] am I gonna catch a speeder if Im not speeding? Spina yells to the driver. God Bless America & the Laws that prevent Art & Free Speech Censorship. This officer yelled and gave a tongue lashing to an individual who broke multiple laws. Mellekas also said that many troopers are under extreme stress because of the COVID-19 pandemic and that Spina, who has been with the state police since 2001, has been referred to the agencys employee assistance program. In July, the Hartford Courant reported the unions plan to hold a vote of no confidence. God Bless America. The bigger issue here is whether, now that state government's finances have been devastated by the virus epidemic as well as by pension obligations, and many state residents have been ruined financially, Connecticut can afford a pension system that allows its beneficiaries to use it not just for secure retirement but for a life of luxury. A trucker from Ballston Spa, Kristofer M. Gregorek, was sentenced to 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years in prison after his truck struck andkilled a University at Buffalo nursing professor,Ellen M. Volpe, on the Thruway in June 2017. Theres no fine., You do have to pay the $93 surcharge, the judge said. Some poke fun, some express frustration; but like all art, the interpretation, feelings, or emotions evoked by the medium are all in the eye of the beholder.We are not affiliated with any Government Agency. Partly cloudy skies. The following day, Jette released another video giving his account. Flag pins for First Responders. Our coins, pins, and products are created in a transformative way.We will not be silenced. or anything. The Dodge Charger's airbag module kept a rolling five-second history of the vehicle's speed, the position of the steering wheel and the force placed on the accelerator or the brake, among other things. The driver was pulled over for speeding and briefly placed in handcuff but was not issued any citations. Consequently, it would have been difficult to convict Barker of any criminal charge related to the accident, and it would have been more difficult for lawyers pressing a civil claim against the State Police to go forward. As artists, creating collectibles, we leave the judgment to the public but hope our creations will bridge divided, conquer hatred and unite everybody, the company said in a message. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Welcome to the new courant.com: Whats changed, FAQs and more, Sit the down. Commemorative coin capturing troopers profanity-laced I-95 traffic stop circulating among police, CT man found guilty of narcotics, firearm offenses, Hartford Civilian Police Review Board inspector general resigns, With old Ames HQ in Rocky Hill demolished, state kicks in nearly $1 million for multi-use development, Parkinsons symptoms eased by non-surgical procedure, study shows, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. When ordering custom coins, you are responsible for any and all trademarks and copyrights. So how will the state police department handle the Spina case? Retracing the path of controversial Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe includes many stops in Connecticut. This company is not affiliated with the U.S. Government. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. 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"It certainly wouldn't have happened today.". Every Sunday, receive the most in-depth, interesting, and important stories of the week, picked by editors and readers. Spina was initially taken off the road shortly after the video of the traffic stop was posted, but records of a grievance filed with the state police show that he was later suspended. This article is absolutely an opinion piece and should be taken as such. Matthew Spina in year 2018 was employed in Dept of Emrg Svc & Public Prot and The man allegedly showed. Wallace was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three to nine years in prison. The topic of distracted driving was never mentioned, nor were the injured parties or the collision. We are very proud of our #ThinPinkLine collection because we believe that Breast Cancer Awareness is crucial to defeating Cancer! The trooper was removed from working with the public and placed under investigation after a video of him berating a motorist in an expletive-laced rant on the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven was posted on YouTube. compliance. The trooper becomes irate after Jette questions him about the stop. WE ARE EXERCISING OUR CIVIL RIGHT AND FREEDOM TO IMAGINE, CREATE AND DISTRIBUTE DIVERSE CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS FREE OF GOVT CENSORSHIP, POLITICAL INTERFERENCE OR PRESSURES. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism It shall cease and desist only when: 1) our elected officials have the courage to change current statutory language on our retirement system, 2) we elect a governor with the political will to change the culture of bureaucracy, and 3) the public is educated on how our unions have hijacked the state Capitol. This ought to tell you why our department, instead of having 1,300 (troopers), has 850 right now. 0. in at least the last five years Spina has been working so much that his overtime earnings have nearly equaled or exceeded his base annual salary of almost $100,000. We create collectibles, artwork and items for everybody. The trooper suffered a traumatic brain injury and never recovered. Keep it Clean. When arraigned less than a month later, on Jan. 16, 2020, a deal had already been worked out. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. He turned on his flashing lights and put down flares to close one lane before helping the motorist. Create a password that only you will remember. The stop lasts for roughly five minutes. @UncleLouie ARTISTIC ACTIVISM: As a Veteran First Responder, I create products that are works of art. Our creations are not approved, endorsed, sponsored, nor authorized by, or associated with any agency, department of government entity. In opposition, the defendant does not contest that it is liable for the acts or omissions of its employee, Trooper Barker, and has not come forward with any non-negligent explanation for Trooper Barker's conduct.. The judge agreed that all five occupants suffered serious injuries: Spinal injuries to Timothy McCann and George Cole, who now lives in Farmington, led to paralysis; Terrance Marsha, of Orchard Park, has limited use of his right hand and wrist; David Jordan now has limited use of his right shoulder, wrist, hand, ankle and knee; driver Harry Gibbons, of Irving, suffered two broken ribs and in a deposition said his legs continue to bother him. CLICK HEREThankful to have laws that protect artistsOur products all start with an idea which becomes a sketch. Jette said that Spina had no grounds to pull him over and wants to make sure the officer is held accountable. Success! As the incident continues to unfold, Spina yells that it just never ends in this job., Apparently nearing retirement, Spina yells: I got 14 months. Spina tells the motorist that police officers are permitted by law to disregard traffic laws during the performance of their duties. Warning, the video on YouTube, as seen here, will be disturbing to some readers. The coin does not represent the values and philosophies of Commissioner Rovella and Colonel Mellekas, Foley said. accounts, the history behind an article. Dec 9, 2020 Updated Dec 10, 2020. Jordan, sitting in the rearmost seat, was thrown forward at impact, along with his seat. He suffered chest and shoulder injuries yet, by comparison, was lucky. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. He was charged on Dec. 30, 2019. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. A seasoned Connecticut Trooper, Matthew Spina, 19 years of service, deals with a driver with 7 prior arrests, some felonies, including violence and harassment. Look at the over-generous pay given to the various college employees. Last year Spina made $99,000 in regular pay, $97,000 in overtime, and another $7,000 in miscellaneous pay, presumably private-duty pay, another sort of overtime, for a total of $203,000. Spina notes he was following a truck and looking for violations because the governors office has gotten multiple complaints on traffic stops., It just never (expletive) ends in this (expletive) job. "I have a real problem with the resolution of this case," Jason Schmidt said after The Buffalo News asked him about it. Key Data Matthew Spina Employment History 2018 Job Title: St Polce Trpr Frst Class Department: Dept of Emrg Svc & Public Prot Bargaining Group: State Police (NP-1) Employment Type: Full-time Total Pay: $184,881 Barker was terminated in. If you work for an agency or organization, know your department's policy for creating coins, that is your responsibility. The video starts with the driver asking Spina why he was speeding and riding close to another vehicle. All of our coins are made in very small quantity and are never sold as official or authorized. Come on, people. We have the largest selection of U.S. Chance of precip 90%.. He was acting like a loose cannon, Jette said. You have permission to edit this article. The suit claims the laws mandates for the release of public records runs counter to the most recent state police collective bargaining agreement, which allows troopers to prevent their personnel records from being released to the public. Be Nice. FREE SHIPPING when you spend $20. In a statement, Col. Stavros Mellekas, the deputy commissioner of the state police, called Spinas behavior disturbing and said an internal affairs investigation had begun. CT trooper barred from public interaction after profanity-filled traffic stop, Hamden school board member Walter L. 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