nothin Stratton Calls His Arrest Warrant “Shameful” | New Haven Independent

Stratton Calls His Arrest Warrant Shameful”

Thomas MacMillan Photo

Prominent trial lawyer and former city Alder Michael Stratton swung back Wednesday night against a decision by authorities to seek his arrest — blaming his troubles and the warrant on the Harp administration.

The police Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for Stratton (pictured), of the Prospect Hill neighborhood, on charges of third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. The charges stem from a 1:41 a.m. June 13 police visit to the Kelly House on Temple Street, where Stratton was temporarily living with a 20-year-old woman.

By the accounts of both the woman and Stratton, the woman started assaulting Stratton because he had announced he was breaking off the relationship. Based on those accounts, officers arrested the woman, not Stratton, in the building’s ground-floor lobby.

In a text message sent to the Independent Wednesday evening, Stratton denied the charges. He called the episode political payback for his record of exposing alleged political corruption.

The truth shall be revealed,” he declared. I will be vindicated here.”

The state based its decision to charge a former city alder with domestic violence-related assault on a review on surveillance video that allegedly showed Stratton also striking the woman. Authorities have not released the video.

The video emerged in the course of an internal police investigation into how officers handled the June 13 incident.

Police Chief Dean Esserman ordered the investigation when it was discovered that some of them had failed to file a report about visiting the couple’s upstairs apartment and seeing a small amount of marijuana visible. Some of the officers were apparently aware that Stratton, who’s 48, was an alder. (He subsequently resigned his position six months into his first term, citing family issues,” but vowed to return to politics next year, perhaps to challenge Mayor Toni Harp.)

In the course of the internal affairs probe into the officers’ conduct, investigators noticed the existence of surveillance cameras at Kelly House. They pulled the video from that evening. They allegedly discovered footage of Stratton assaulting the woman. Based on that information, the state’s attorney’s office sought a warrant, which a judge signed. The warrant had not been served as of late Wednesday; police were seeking to make contact with Stratton, who is believed to be out of town, through a third party.

Police have not reinterviewed the woman or Stratton since the original incident. The day of the incident, the woman told the Independent that Stratton had not hit her. He offered a similar version of the incident.

By text message Wednesday evening, Stratton offered the following statement: I did not act as an aggressor here. I called 911. This is a politically motivated arrest. And the truth shall be revealed. … They want me down for the count. No such luck. I will be vindicated here. This is shameful conduct on the part of the administration.”

Stratton did not respond to further requests for comment. It could not be determined where he sent the text message from, or whether he would be served with the warrant Thursday.

Police union President Louis Cavaliere Jr. defended the conduct of the officers who responded to the original June 13 incident. He said they had no reason to review surveillance footage.

The officers felt that they did a thorough job. They responded to an assault in progress. Both parties agreed that one person was the victim and one was the offender. The female said that he was hitting them. The male said I didn’t hit her because I didn’t want to get arrested,” Cavaliere said.

Obviously the officers didn’t realize there was video. Most of the time you don’t even know.

When you get into a detective’s position, or internal affairs, they can slow it down. Officers don’t do that. If we go to a crime, we don’t usually ask, unless it was a robbery. It’s an assault. She hit me. I didn’t hit her. She agreed. That’s enough. They made an arrest.”

In a comment posted to an Independent story, dated June 26 at 9:53 p.m., Stratton continued to blame the Harp administration for his troubles — arguing that his opposition to powerful Democrats as an alder led those in power to make his life miserable. (He’s shown in the video clashing with fellow alders at a budget hearing.)

The machine fought me every step of the way,” Stratton wrote. My error I underestimated the strength of the current machine. Without a cross city coalition the machine cannot be beat. My life was made a misery for months but I endured until the final budget vote. Now I must pick up the pieces of the personal damage done to me. I recognized this and did the right thing and resigned. It was not a permanent retreat. It is a time for me to take care of what matters most: my kids.

There is no shame in me dating people who are different than me. And I acted with honor and honesty and kindness. My arrogance or shame is that I thought I could play david to the machines Goliath. That’s hubris. So Once the dust settles from months of abuse done to me personally, I hope to build an enduring coalition of residents who will completely transform this city.”

An earlier version of this story follows:

Warrant Issued For Stratton’s Arrest

First, former Alder Michael Stratton was the alleged victim of an attack on June 13. Now, after a police probe, Stratton himself is accused of assault.

Police announced Wednesday that they had issued a warrant for Stratton’s arrest on charges of third-degree assault and second degree breach of peace.

The warrant emerged from an internal police probe into the department’s response to a June 13 incident in which Stratton (pictured) was allegedly assaulted by a 20-year-old woman after he told her he was breaking off a relationship with her.

Police Chief Dean Esserman ordered the investigation to determine whether Stratton, who’s 48, had been given special treatment by cops. The probe looked at why police didn’t write up a report about visiting the woman’s apartment when they responded to the assault. A small amount of marijuana was visible in the apartment but was not seized by cops.

Stratton resigned on June 24 from his seat as alder for Newhallville/Prospect Hill, before news of the June 13 incident broke. Stratton cited family reasons for his resignation. After the police announced their investigation, Stratton announced that he may run for mayor.

Stratton, who is believed to be out of town since he resigned, could not be reached for comment.

Assistant Police Chief Archie Generoso said that the internal investigation produced new independent” information that signaled that Stratton had used violence, too.

The woman in the incident told police at the scene that she hit Stratton, but he didn’t hit her, according to Generoso. She told the Independent the same account the day of the incident. Police have not interviewed her a second time since the original incident, according to Generoso. He said a different party produced the new information.

We didn’t know it that night,” Generoso said. He emphasized that the officers at the scene did not cover up any information pointing to Stratton committing a crime.

The officers at the scene were relying on information we had at the time. They had no reason to disbelieve” the account of Stratton’s live-in partner, Generoso said.

Generoso said the warrant had not been served as of mid-day Wednesday.

After the announcement of the internal investigation into the incident, Stratton text-messaged the Independent his version of what happened that night: 

The woman who attacked me had only known me for a few weeks. She did so after I said I thought the relationship was not something I wished to pursue given the age difference.

When I attempted to leave she struck me repeatedly I did nothing to resist the attack knowing that even the slightest response would land me in jail and make me equally responsible. After taking 15 – 25 hits to the the face and body I managed to call 911 and ask for help. I did this to avoid having to physically respond. I did not require medical assistance but I did have several bruises and a swollen lip.

The police officers who responded asked me very pointed questions and determined I was in fact the victim and had done nothing to cause the assault and nothing to resist it.”

Stratton called the investigation a conspiracy by his political opponents and threatened to launch a campaign to challenge Mayor Toni Harp in 2015.

Thomas MacMillan contributed reporting.

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