Torniero was immediately suspended without pay, pending the adjudication of this case.
On March 14, 2018, multiple law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at 14 John Steele Drive in Farmington, Connecticut. The search warrant was in relation to illegal narcotics. John Butler (DOB 12/31/1965) was arrested by the Connecticut State Police and was found to be in possession of Hartford Police Department issued equipment. As a result, the Hartford Police Department Internal Affairs Division was immediately notified.
Internal Affairs Investigators conducted an extensive investigation which revealed that Justin Torniero stole the police equipment and provided the stolen property to Butler. The equipment stolen included a police-issued ballistic vest and a police-issued mountain bicycle.
Is was also discovered during the investigation that Torniero was utilizing cocaine and alcohol, while working in the capacity of a police sergeant for the City of Hartford.
Furthermore, Torniero would drive in a Hartford Police Department vehicle to Torniero’s residence in Farmington while in uniform to partake in cocaine and alcohol use. On September 10, 2018, Internal Affairs Investigators submitted an arrest warrant to Hartford Superior Court, charging Torniero with violating Connecticut General Statutes: 53a-122(a)(4), Larceny in the First Degree (one count) and 53a-123(a)(4), Larceny in the Second Degree (three counts). After review, the arrest warrant was approved, and the court set a $175,000.00 bond.
On 09/11/18 at approximately 1815 hours, Torniero turned himself into IAD Investigators and the warrant was served. As of this writing, Torniero is currently being held on the judge-set bond of $175,000 with a scheduled court date of 09/12/18.
25 comments:
No cure for stupid. What was he thinking?
One you become a coke-head, all you really think about is doing more cocaine. Reality starts to fractured and psychotic denial takes hold.
Those damn Hartford residents oh wait
Looks like HPD ignores drug and alcohol issues with its members like HFD .. There’s no doubt in my mind that this wasn’t the first time this guy used cocaine and consumed booze,,,, I’ll bet the house that numerous co-workers from patrol to the highest ranks were fully aware of Torneiro’s behavior and turned a blind eye . Classic case of Hogan’s Heroes Sergeant Schultz who repeatedly stated “I SEE NOTHING”....And for anyone about to respond with the nonsense “ personal responsibility” angle ,,, GO F%#K YOURSEF!!! PTSD is for real but most tough guys don’t realize this cause their too busy cocktailing with co-workers retelling war stories in a dark shity bar.This story reminds me that HPD’s EAP rep is a fellow officer ,,, Kev, If she was so great how did she miss this guy???? Maybe she was busy receiving accolades at another community meeting while the Sergeant was busy scoring an 8 Ball ...... HIRE OUTSIDERS FOR EAP !!!!!!
Thats a dumb uneducated comment. The EAP coordinator can not monitor the hidden behavior of 400 people. Most if not all hide their demons deep inside. You cant force people to get help if they dont want any. You obviously have zero idea what kinds of stress a job like this produces. Come patrol the north end and go head on into multiple animal gun calls and then we can play tough guy like you smartass....
Instead of busting this guy's chops give him a little compassion.
Reputation gone.
Job will be gone.
Possibly facing incarceration and that's never good for police officers. I hope he gets his stuff straightened out and moves on to a productive life.
I saw many officers fall through the cracks in my time at HPD and not get the the appropriate help, mainly because of their resistance to such help. Many were distrustful about the confidentiality part and in several cases cries for help because public knowledge in the PD. That was back many years ago and it must have improved.
So was Sgt. Torniero a good officer or have any further potential? I don't have that answer and never worked with him but here is something that I do know. If anyone hasn't figured it out yet police get no backing from politicians and most "community activists" while all of these individuals in this group would never deign to put on the uniform to do the job. Their mantra is "fire and arrest" when they never had the intestinal fortitude to do the job themselves. Easier to complain and that defines their character.
Sgt. Torniero will face the rigors of court as a shamed police officer. Very sad.
7:48. Don't make assumptions or comment on things you don't understand.
Glad hes gone we dont need monsters like this in our community
6:47PM
I envy you, it must be tough going through life perfect.
Maybe you should take a walk outside and you will find plenty of people dealing with addictions in "your community"
The majority of firefighters don’t die in fires and the majority of cops don’t die getting shot by a bad guy,,what does affect them most is the PTSD while on the job and in retirement that alcohol and drugs cannot numb. 9:33 AM ,PLEASE DON’T ACT SO NAIVE ,,I wasn’t talking about ONE EAP coordinator trying to locate “ HIDDEN BEHAVIOR ” among a entire 400 member dept ,,,I CLEARLY MEANT THE OBVIOUS “ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR” OF “ SOME” OF YOUR CO-WORKERS,,,if you’ve never witnessed one of your own in desperate need of help (DISPLAYING THEIR DEMONS) then you must be deaf,dumb and blind.Maybe HPD’s EAP rep could use your helping hand as an assistant. Here’s your most notable statement ,,,“You can’t force people to get help” ??? REALLY??? For years, cops and firefighters have been sent away to rehab to KEEP THEIR JOBS!!!!,,, it doesn’t always work BUT SOME ACTUALLY TURN THINGS AROUND BY BEING “FORCED” TO GET HELP..
9:33
YOU obviously have zero idea what kind of stress EACH AND EVERY JOB produces.
8:29 out of respect to this officer I won't go into details about the help we provide for our fellow officers but again your talking about a situation you know almost nothing about.
Amazing on seven comments concerning the dirty 👮♀️. Let’s me know who reads this blog!!
Cocaine Cops dam shame
It’s really time to bring back drug testing Kevin. I’m a 20 year veteran of HPD and have NEVER been randomly drug tested. Ive always heard “it’s to expensive.” Yet Luke can find money regarding a program / welcome center for inmate re-entry into the Hartford community. Come the F on now. John Butler’s running mate was Seth Condon, he passed extremely young from a drug overdose. Now Torniero goes down with Butler. Do you honestly believe Butler has no more cop running mates? Do you really think Condon and Torniero are/were the only two? Cops run in packs or groups of friends. Without getting into more details, re-initiating random drug testing is LONG overdue. Chief Rosado- are you listening?
This is who the good SGT was visiting:
Police arrested a man Wednesday after state, local and federal authorities found almost three pounds of marijuana, a half-pound of cocaine and 57 guns in his Farmington home.
John Martin Butler, 52, of 14 John Steele Road was arrested on charges that include operation of a drug factory, possession of narcotics with intent to sell and illegal possession of a large-capacity magazine, state police said. He was in custody on $250,000 bail early Thursday and was scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Hartford later in the day.
According to the state police, officers from four agencies converged on the house shortly before 6 a.m. with a search warrant after a months-long investigation led them to suspect Butler was involved in drug trafficking at the home. They found 228 grams, or 8 ounces, of cocaine; 2.8 pounds of marijuana; 1.7 pounds of edible marijuana; 98 Percocet pills; packaging materials and drug paraphernalia.
They also found 28 rifles, 29 handguns, ammunition, about $108,840 in cash and $900 in U.S. bonds
That was pretty good cut and pasting from media outlets. Did you not think we all hadn’t seen and known that? Are you a subcontractor for the media?
11:10 PM ,,,Your right ,when it comes to this “ONE SITUATION” I know almost nothing,,,, BUT YOU MISSED MY POINT !!! Let’s try a different angle,,,,There have been many Sergeant Torneiro’s since the formation of the first law enforcement department ,although policing has changed dramatically since then and hopefully will always evolve ,the one constant is not addressing the obvious members who need IMEDIATE help ,,,10:39 AM validates my comment about turning a blind eye ,,ITS ABSURD THAT THE CITY OF HARTFORD DOES’NT RANDOMLY DRUG TEST COPS AND FIREFIGHTERS !!!! If HPD’s and HFD’s EAP reps have not formally requested routine testing ,,THEN SHAME ON THEM!!! If you EAP reps are afraid of being transferred ,GO TO THE MEDIA ,,, I’m sure Brian Foley would love to out this dirty little secret he is fully aware of... I don’t know much but I do know that there are a lot more damaged cops and firefighters walking around than YOU PEOPLE WANT TO EXPOSE .. 11:10 PM PLEASE LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE THAN YOUR “ONE” SITUATION.Kev,,,HFD had 3 suicides in a 15 year period ( one in a firehouse) and you know how many chiefs and EAP reps came around the firehouses and pretended to give shit???? ZEROOOOOOO !!!!!!
Above: I don't usually agree with you on most things, especially when race is an issue. In this instance, though, I agree wholeheartedly. I know you're on the job. Not sure as to your identity, but have some pretty good ideas having actually worked with you and having essentially lost the best job in the world due to my own substance abuse issues (then). I used HFD EAP at that time. Faye Soltys was the contact and was caring and supportive and whom I'm sure told at least some of my officers about our confidential meetings. Some time after my behavior forced me to move on I found out the one of the newer EAP contacts was someone I did most of my drugs with at the firehouse! It really is a messed up and totally non-confidential system. Hartford needs drug testing, though. I was a hard-working firefighter and did my share to save life and property, but I had a problem, was a liability, and put my brothers and sisters at risk. This didn't make me bad, just unwell, like so many of us are or become. I was sad to leave the job, but had no one to blame but myself. FD and PD just aren't the types of jobs where substance abuse can be tolerated. Period. And sorry, but that includes alcohol, the most dangerous drug of all.
Above: I don't usually agree with you on most things, especially when race is an issue. In this instance, though, I agree wholeheartedly. I know you're on the job. Not sure as to your identity, but have some pretty good ideas having actually worked with you and having essentially lost the best job in the world due to my own substance abuse issues (then). I used HFD EAP at that time. Faye Soltys was the contact and was caring and supportive and whom I'm sure told at least some of my officers about our confidential meetings. Some time after my behavior forced me to move on I found out the one of the newer EAP contacts was someone I did most of my drugs with at the firehouse! It really is a messed up and totally non-confidential system. Hartford needs drug testing, though. I was a hard-working firefighter and did my share to save life and property, but I had a problem, was a liability, and put my brothers and sisters at risk. This didn't make me bad, just unwell, like so many of us are or become. I was sad to leave the job, but had no one to blame but myself. FD and PD just aren't the types of jobs where substance abuse can be tolerated. Period. And sorry, but that includes alcohol, the most dangerous drug of all.
BF,,,,I pray you are doing well,although it is a great job ,too many let it define their entire being which is a bad companion to PTSD .Sad to report that drug use is about the same but alcohol consumption is worse than ever. Off duty brothers are self medicating to a point where their losing their jobs ,family and acquiring physical life altering effects from alcohol abuse,some spend their time sitting on the same barstool,drinking the same beer,repeating the same story in a perpetual destructive Groundhog Day waiting for the next shift to start. I don’t think the Hartford Fire Dept will be putting out a calendar anytime soon. As Dean Wormer stated in Animal House ,fat ,drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son. Retired alcoholics are a different monster ,once respected hard ass men are a shell of their former self ,literally rotting from the inside out. A very sad sight to see and feel bad for their family and friends who want to help but can’t . BF ,I was fortunate to work with you and apologize for not being more diligent in trying to get you in a place,literally and figuratively , where you could have succeeded . Soltys and Parker from the 3 rd floor and Discipio and Brady from 760 have to live with that one My offer from EAP and the assistant chief while pleading to get you help was my transfer away from you and the union mocked me when Soltys blabbed to them about my concerns that I thought were delivered confidentially,,,,,not my version of the truth but the truth. Take care BF
Wow, writing this takes big balls!! Is Every one going to start coming out and admit they have drug or alcohol issues just like all the sexual harassment in the news?? Maybe this blog will start a new trend?? Perhaps not?
The black firefighter using drugs along with the white firefighter was not fired.Go figure. That firefighter still continues to be a problem today.I believe he is facing suspension over an exposure incident that occurred several months ago, where he failed to report that a probationary firefighter was drenched in blood during a call.
My Brother: with the deepest sincerity, thank you for the kind words. Sorry to hear things haven't gotten better since I left. Without divulging too much, do you mind telling me at what house we were stationed together? And yes, I'm well. Losing the job, my friends, my self-respect, and having to ask for help all had to happen in order to stop my insanity. And you're absolutely right: my insanity was diagnosed as job related and life-event related PTSD,and I chose to medicate with alcohol and drugs. And if any other of the Bravest or Finest are reading this and are in a similar situation, please know that you are not alone. There are tens of thousands of us in the FDs and PDs across this country who are suffering, but are unsure what to do about it. Alcoholics Anonymous is a good place to start, regardless of your addiction, and it's a fuck of a lot more anonymous than Hartford's EAP! You have a hard fucking job. Day in and out you see things that would break most people and you're only human. The is no shame in asking for help. The shame is in losing your family, job, freedom, and/or life because of NOT asking for it. Sorry to sound preachy. It's a powerful topic to me.
Brookman ,I know your supportive but please be a friend to Hartford’s Bravest/Finest and make the Chiefs in both departments and HR read these comments . You’ve made some tremendous positive changes in the past. Wouldn’t the action of saving the life of a Brother or Sister be one of your finest achievements?
Well said Kevin
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