Opinion ID: 2704
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Walczyk's August 1999 Reference to a Potential Bloodbath

Text: Some five months later, on August 30, 1999, Walczyk called the Farmington police to complain again that Barberino personnel were trespassing on the disputed property. Responding to the scene, Officer David Hebert explained to Walczyk that the police could not act on his trespass complaint without some documentary support for his property claim. In his report of the encounter, Hebert noted that Walczyk made some off color com[m]ents that the police were not taking the action needed to avoid a `blood bath.' Police Rpt., Aug. 30, 1999, at 1. [4] At Walczyk's subsequent criminal trial, Hebert explained that, although he considered this remark offensive, he did not immediately place Walczyk under arrest because the officer did not feel any direct threat to himself. Nevertheless, he did understand Walczyk's comment as a threat toward the Barberino Corporation and who[m]ever they were going to have down there working. Trial Tr. vol. 1, 56, Mar. 23, 2001. Indeed, Hebert informed Barberino of the bloodbath statement, prompting its counsel to contact Captain Rio to request police protection at the disputed property site during any work periods.