New London police officer being investigated for allegedly planting drugs
New London — The city fired a police officer Friday for his role in the beating of a man outside of a drug and alcohol detoxification center and placed another officer on administrative leave while allegations that he planted drugs on a suspect are investigated.
Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio said Officer Joshua Bergeson was fired following an administrative hearing Friday afternoon to review his role in the Dec. 14 beating of Reuben Miller outside of a Southeastern Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency facility on Coit Street.
K-9 Officer Roger Newton has been placed on paid administrative leave, Finizio said, as federal, state and local agencies investigate a city man's allegations that Newton planted drugs in his car before arresting him on drug-dealing charges in October 2010. Lance Goode, 43, says a video shot from a police cruiser shows Newton planting the drugs.
Newton is the "subject of an ongoing criminal investigation in the New London Police Department," according to Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio during his Friday afternoon press conference.
Goode provided a copy of the video to The Day on Thursday.
Goode, who admits he's been arrested "over 30 times" by the New London Police Department, said Newton planted a bag of oxycodone pills near a car after Newton and Officer Timothy Henderson followed Goode to private property on Oct. 20, 2010.
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