State police have announced that they will no longer be conducting an Internal Affairs Investigation for the East Lyme Police Department due to the violation of terms by East Lyme police officials. This decision comes after the police chief, Michael Finkelstein, faced charges of disorderly conduct and breach of peace over a domestic violence incident, for which he was later additionally charged with making a false statement.
State police had agreed to conduct the investigation at the request of East Lyme officials, under the condition that they maintain confidentiality regarding the case. However, East Lyme officials were cited speaking about the investigation in the media, leading to the termination of the investigation.
Finkelstein was placed on paid administrative leave following his arrest, with Lt. Michael Macek serving as the acting chief of police. The charges against Finkelstein stemmed from an alleged altercation with a woman over a cell phone, where he was accused of hitting her in the face. Finkelstein claimed that the woman had injured herself while trying to take the phone away from him.
Efforts to reach out to East Lyme First Selectman Daniel R. Cunningham and Finkelstein’s attorney for comment have been ongoing, but no response has been received. The case has raised concerns about the handling of internal investigations and the maintenance of confidentiality in such matters.
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