2005
The Plaintiffs re-file a motion for contempt alleging that the HPD has not followed the 2004 Order, and another regarding their failure to devise an affirmative action plan to increase racial diversity on the force.
The Plaintiffs re-file a motion for contempt alleging that the HPD has not followed the 2004 Order, and another regarding their failure to devise an affirmative action plan to increase racial diversity on the force.
The Cintron parties agree on a new civilian complaint procedure, known as the “2004 Order.” Plaintiffs file two motions for contempt, one of which charges noncompliance with the 2004 Order.
The parties come to an agreement on updated Firearms Discharge Board of Inquiry (FDBI) guidelines, the demands of which were first initiated in 1999 in response to Salmon’s shooting. HPD Officer Robert Murtha shoots an unarmed citizen, Elvin Gonzalez, and the incident’s investigation is obstructed by union members.
The City submits an application to vacate Arbitrator Murphey’s decision excusing Casati’s behavior. In October, Judge Marshall K. Berger grants it. Judge Berger finds Casati’s reinstatement to be a violation of public policy, and in “excess of the arbitrator’s authority under the submission” (Source).
Salmon’s killing in 1999 brought out deep seated anger around Hartford regarding the HPD’s targeting of minorities and failure to protect those they serve. As the millennium turns, protests across the city give voice to these feelings and community organizers continue to work toward “Justice for Aquan.” Attorney Richard Bieder is enlisted to oversee Cintron’s litigation as Special Master. He finds Officer Allan’s use of force justified, if tragic. In May, Robert Casati’s discriminatory remarks are defended by Arbitrator Albert G. Murphey in his move to reinstate Casati to his position as Deputy Chief. Acting Police Chief Deborah Barrows is
HPD Officer Robert Allan fatally shoots fourteen-year-old Aquan Salmon on April 13th. The collective grief following this tragedy unifies local activists, prompting calls to revisit the 26-year-old consent decree as an avenue for accountability.
In January, an internal police hearing is convened to investigate Casati’s alleged misconduct.
In June 1997, claims of discriminatory conduct are brought against Deputy Chief Robert Casati by a colleague, Sergeant Daryl Roberts.
The 1994 Crime Bill sets judicial precedent for the implementation of consent decrees against police departments, specifically through Section 14141 regarding the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice in evaluating a police department's violation of citizenship. Cintron v. Vaughan is of particular interest for this very reason, as it takes place twenty years prior to this perceived authorization, and seems to be left out of the historical memory that centers 1994 as the inception of this practice.
Tensions rise between the HPD and the city administration. Officers feel that the city is targeting them for political gain, swept up in a national wave of anti-police sentiment ignited by the beating of Rodney King and subsequent LA riots.