POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY- IS HARTFORD'S CHIEF THODY ABOVE THE LAW?

Hartford's Mayor Luke Bronin knows all the buzz words when angry constituents show up on his front porch. Yet he seems to have lost his voice when it comes to the actions of his hand picked Police Chief Jason Thody

Has anyone heard Bronin speak out about Thody's evading an accident scene?: Has anyone heard any Hartford City Council members, besides Josh Michtom, asking questions or attempting to gather the facts? Michtom is the only person who has called me asking questions. Bronin has apparently told Councilmembers "there is nothing to it". The facts will show that is the furthest thing from the actual truth

Instead Bronin and his staff seem more intent on putting out false information to continue the Thody coverup. "Oh, it was just a minor accident" or"there was very little damage" or the one that "there was less than a $1000 in damage" from Assistant Chief Medina's post dated IAD report. None  of that matters according to Connecticut State Law, unless of course Thody has placed himself above the law, unlike the little people who have to follow and obey those same laws.

Just to be clear, here is one of the Statutes that would, or should apply to Thody's behavior:
Sec. 14-224. Evasion of responsibility in operation of motor vehicles.  (3) Each operator of a motor vehicle who is knowingly involved in an accident that causes injury or damage to property shall at once stop and render such assistance as may be needed and shall give such operator's name, address and operator's license number and registration number to the owner of the injured or damaged property, or to any officer or witness to the injury or damage to property, and if such operator of the motor vehicle causing the injury or damage to any property is unable to give such operator's name, address and operator's license number and registration number to the owner of the property injured or damaged, or to any witness or officer, for any reason or cause, such operator shall immediately report such injury or damage to property to a police officer, a constable, a state police officer or an inspector of motor vehicles or at the nearest police precinct or station, and shall state in such report the location and circumstances of the accident causing the injury or damage to property and such operator's name, address, operator's license number and registration number.

In case you don't like reading full statutes, here are the imperative points:

the operator of a motor vehicle who is knowingly involved in an accident that causes injury or damage to property shall at once stop and render such assistance as may be needed and shall give such operator's name, address and operator's license number and registration number to the owner of the injured or damaged property, or to any officer or witness to the injury or damage to property,


You might also notice that no where in that Statute does it mention a threshhold of $1,000. No where. just part of the coverup by Thody and I might add , by his silence or misinformation Luke Bronin. Assistant Chief Medina also threw that in his so called Internal Affairs report. Maybe it is from ignorance of the law, but I kind of doubt it

If Luke Bronin is really interested inj gathering the facts and maintaining the public's trust in his Police Chief and his Police Department, he needs to start answering questions truthfully. Why did the Autobody shop that repaired Thody's car apparently refuse to turn over the reapir records and billing to Hartford's City Auditors when they requested them Friday? If it was only $1000, show us the bill and prove it. I am being told it was much cloder to $7000.00 if not more. Where is the paper trail of the text mesaages that Thody claims caused him to crash, even a screen shot showing the date and time to coincide with his explanation. Where is the phone record of his notification of COO Thea Montanaz, who according to Medina's report claims she was at home when Thody called. I'm being told a much different version but the phone records wil show the time and even as much as where she was on her phone. Thatg's technology you know, we wi9ll be able to tell, lets say was she actually at home  , or in Vermont or lets even say somewhere like Chester, CT..

There are many more questions that I am sure will be coming out and hopefully some answers .

 Whether Luke Bronin gets out in front of this to build trust or we wait for the answers from the Connecticut State Police and the Middlesex County States Attorney is up to Bronin . It is entirely up to Luke Bronin whether he proves he is just another talking political puppet or is he really a leader willing to confront the difficult decisions head on.

In this current climate of Police mistrust, Hartford's people deserve that .