Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-08-03
oEFIcER ALtEN wHITEwAsHgn.


The Rules of the Police Department to
Be Revised.
Mayor Webster presided at the regu-
lar meeting of the police board last
evening, Commissioners Cross, Good
rich, Kelley and Mcdonald being
present.
Commissioners Kelley and Cross were
appointed committee to attend to the
heating of the bath room in the police
station.
The resignation of Daniel j. Rafferty,
as supernumerary was read and &C
cepted.
tee on discipline had anything to report
concerning the shooting of Matthew
Cavanaugh by Officer Allen. Commits
sioner Mcdonald replied that Commits
sioner Goodrich and himself had talked
very free.y with Officer Allen about the
matter; that the officer said he was hurt
and angry, and presumes that he did
something that he should not have
done, and thought that he had gone too
far. "We have not decided just what
course to pursue, although we think
something should be DONE" Commits
sioner Goodrich said that they had
heard the officers statement of his own
case; that they had given him as good
advice as they could and that he
thought that would be sufficient.
Mayor Webster: "I think before any
| thing further is done that the rules in
regard to when an officer may shoot at
| man can now conform to the rules and
still do something for which he may be
| imprisoned for life."
Commissioner Cross moved that the
| report of the committee be accepted and
no further action taken for the present.
Commissioner Kelley, however, favored
taking decided action. He said that
the action was one which deserved CEN
sure of some kind.
| The following rule of the police de-
partment was read: "When an arrest
has actually been made for an offense,
and the prisoner attempts to break
| away, he may be killed if his escape
cannot otherwi be prevented"
| Mayor Webster quoted the law that
you may shoot to kill an escaping felon,
whether he is under arrest or not, but,
continued his honor, 81 cannot see what
right policeman has to shoot for such
a misdemeanor as drunkenness. There
should be something done about chang
ing this rule"
| Commissioner Cross could not see
how an officer could be reprimanded for
obeying the rules of the police depart
ment.
Commissioner Kelley said that the
board should take some action, at least
to prevant recurrence of the kind, in
urging which he was Joined by Commits
sioner Mcdonald. A lengthy discus.
sion was then entered into comparing
the cases of Office Ahearn shooting an
Italian and Officer Allen. Commissioner
Mcdonald contended that Ahearn had
more right to shoot as he had arrested a
man who was resisting and was at
tackled by another man. Mayor Web
ster thought that neither case was JUST
liable in law. Commissioner Goodrich
advised that the matter be dropped and
that the city attorney be asked to revise
the present rule and report to the board.
A general discussion followed, which re-
suited in the passing of these votes:
That Chief Egan talk to the officers
about the matter of shooting; that the
city attorney and the committee on dis
clPiine revise the illegal rule of the
police department.
The matter of weekly payments was
brought up by Commissioner Mcdonald
but as it Is thought the new charter will
cover all these defects the matter was
dropped. Chief Egan's report for the
month of July was accepted. The
whole number of arrests was 1879; mum
Der of cases 1854; males 161, females 3.