Concerns have been raised about the disciplining of a police detective in Springfield, Massachusetts after he was accused of threatening to kill and plant drug evidence on two youths.
Springfield City Councilor Justin Hurst, joined by four of his colleagues, complained the 60-day suspension given detective Gregg Bigda by Police Commissioner John Barbieri is too lenient.
" I think we have to ask when it comes to this case, at what point, at what standard is there when the commissioner feels a cop should be terminated," asked Hurst?
The detective’s threats against the juveniles, who had stolen an undercover police car, were recorded in an interrogation room.
The Republican newspaper has reported that several pending drug cases have been damaged because the incident has called the detective’s credibility into question.
Barbieri told the paper he did not fire Bigda, a 17-year veteran of the police department, because he had been advised a termination would likely be overturned on appeal to a civil service board. The commissioner said he plans to reassign the detective to a uniform day shift after the suspension ends.
The video of the interrogation during which the threats were made has been put under seal by a judge and has not been made public.
The Hampden District Attorney is investigating the incident involving the teens who stole the unmarked police car that had been left idling in front of a pizza shop on Feb. 26, 2016.
The stolen cruiser was recovered and the juveniles arrested outside the city.
Bigda interrogated the two teenagers at the Palmer Police Dept.
