Opinion ID: 2362505
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Officer Falvey's Testimony

Text: Two substantially different stories regarding the underlying facts were elicited at trial. Officer Timothy Falvey of the Bangor Police Department testified that on the morning of January 23, 1981, he saw a car drive by him in the middle of the road. He followed the car, which was driven by Reilly, through a number of streets. He testified the car was fishtailing and going at quite a high rate of speed for the conditions which were bad that nightthe roads being snowy and icy. Falvey said that most of the time he followed the car he had his blue lights on as he was going to advise the driver to slow down. Reilly pulled into his driveway, Falvey pulled up behind him, got out of his police car and asked Reilly for his license and registration. Reilly asked Falvey why he had stopped him. Falvey told him he'd explain after he found out who Reilly was. Reilly gave Falvey his license and registration. Falvey then told Reilly that, given the conditions, Reilly should slow down. Falvey then went back to his car to run a license check on Reilly. After unsuccessfully attempting to check on Reilly's license, Falvey got out of his car and told Reilly he wouldn't give him a ticket but that he should slow down in the future. At that point, Falvey testified, Reilly began to scream and yell at Falvey to the effect that us fucking pigs were always harassing him. Falvey responded that if that's the kind of attitude he wants to take, he still can receive a summons for his excessive speed on the street. Falvey started to walk back to his car to get his ticket book whereupon Reilly jumped him from behind and began to kick and choke him. Falvey called for help on his portable radio. After Falvey punched Reilly a few times Reilly got off him. Falvey then told Reilly he was under arrest, grabbed his nightstick, ran after Reilly who was now standing at the rear of the police car, and at least twice hit Reilly across the side of his head with the nightstick. Falvey tried to grab Reilly to handcuff him but Reilly got up, ran onto the porch of his house, pushed Falvey away and ran inside. Another police car arrived with two officers. Falvey yelled at the two officers, smashed the glass in Reilly's outside door with his nightstick, opened up the inner door, went into the house and with the help of the other officers subdued Reilly. Falvey received eight stitches above his left eye as a result of this altercation. Photographs of Falvey, taken a few hours later, were admitted into evidence. He missed two days of work.