Above the Law? Detailed charges against Suspended Greece Police Chief Merritt Rahn
You can read the article in the D&C for more info - check out this laundry list of accusations.
Allegations
Allegations against suspended Greece Police Chief Merritt Rahn center on six general topics: the June 6, 2008 crash involving off-duty Sgt. Nicholas Joseph; allegations of document shredding; complaints against former Officer Gary Pignato; allegations that Rahn mishandled a 2004 homicide investigation; the theft of Rahn’s gun in 1999; and allegations he ordered an officer to come jump-start a car rather than respond to a call for a burglary in progress.
Rahn is charged with violating 46 departmental regulations.
Here are some of the allegations, according to the documents:
- During a June 10, 2008, staff meeting, Rahn said “if Sgt. Nicholas Joseph had been drinking when he had the accident, that he took the correct action by leaving the scene of the accident.”
- Despite a subpoena for personnel records from the District Attorney’s Office, Rahn stood by on April 25 and watched Deputy Chief William Mackin shred documents without asking what the documents were and without ensuring no evidence was being destroyed.
- At the scene of a June 17, 2004, homicide, Rahn said the matter “was a clear cut case of self-defense,” ordered the homicide suspect’s handcuffs removed and handed the suspect a cell phone with a defense attorney on the line.
- Rahn did not report the November 1999 theft of his service weapon until February 2000, when he filed a false report that said the gun was taken on or after Dec. 4.
- In September, Rahn ordered one of his officers not to speak to State Police regarding a complaint he had taken against Officer Gary Pignato and in December ordered another officer to speak to Pignato’s defense team.
- Sometime in the fall of 2008, Rahn ordered an officer to stop responding to a burglary in progress call and instead use his town-owned police car to jump-start a used car Rahn had just sold.
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