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

Heading: The Challenged Arrest and Search Warrants

Text: Soon thereafter, Rio reviewed Hebert's report of his August 30, 1999 encounter with Walczyk. Rio was, of course, aware of Walczyk's earlier statement that, if police did not assist him in his land dispute, he would take matters into his own hands and do what he had to do to protect his rights. Moreover, Rio knew that Walczyk was the licensed owner of a variety of firearms and that, over the years, he had responded to various situations by displaying, discharging, or threatening to discharge a firearm. In addition to the 1981 and 1988 incidents, detailed supra at 145-46, during which Walczyk had brandished firearms specifically at Barberino workers, these situations included a 1990 road-rage incident during which Walczyk, armed with a loaded AK-47 rifle, confronted an angry motorist who had followed him home; [5] a 1992 complaint by neighbors that Walczyk shot a cat in his backyard; [6] and a 1996 argument during which Walczyk threatened to shoot his brother John for using the undeveloped land for driving practice. [7] Viewing the bloodbath comment in this larger context, Rio concluded that the events of August 30, 1999, demonstrated probable cause to arrest Walczyk for the Connecticut Class A misdemeanor of threatening, see Conn. Gen.Stat. § 53a-62(a), [8] and to search Walczyk's home and that of his parents for firearms that could be used as instrumentalities of the bloodbath threat. Rio did not speak with Officer Hebert before making this determination, but he did consult with a state's attorney, who concurred in the captain's probable cause assessment. Rio then communicated the relevant circumstances to defendant Sergeant William Tyler and directed him to prepare the paperwork necessary to procure an arrest warrant for Walczyk. After Tyler completed and signed the arrest warrant, he and Rio used the same information to prepare search warrant applications for the homes of Thomas Walczyk and his parents. These papers were then given to defendants Corporal Angela Deschenes and Officer Shawn Brown, who acted as affiants for the search warrant applications. On September 4, 1999, a magistrate authorized the arrest and search warrants. [9]