East Haven Police Chief To Testify Before Freedom Of Information Commission

The Freedom of Information Commission in Hartford is to hear testimony on Tuesday from the Former Police Chief of East Haven.  He’s been subpoenaed in connection with an investigation into alleged racial profiling by East Haven police officers.

Former Police Chief Leonard Gallo is expected to testify about documents related to a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into race-based violence, harassment and intimidation by East Haven police officers against Latinos.   

Yale Law School student interns submitted the DOJ complaint on behalf of the Latino community.  Yale law student Yaman Salahi says the FOIC hearing will examine whether officers withheld documents related to their policing polices.

"...Things like use of force, racial profiling, searches and seizures and we want to know anything about when the Department has been investigated, how its been investigated and what the result of that investigation was."

There is also a separate federal racial profiling lawsuit against the East Haven police department. 

Several officers have been subpoenaed to a Grand Jury in February. The town’s Mayor stresses that the probe is aimed at certain members of the police department.  

For WNPR, I'm Diane Orson.