The year started with the Chief of Police position open and the Police Commission seeking a replacement, following the announcement of the departure of former Chief of Police James Viadero at the end of last year. Viadero left to take a leadership post with the state’s Inspector General’s Office. The issue at the top of the Newtown PD’s totem pole was compounded when Captain Chris Vanghele announced his departure to be the Plainville Chief of Police in early January.

Choosing to hire from within Newtown Police Department, the Police Commission named Newtown’s own Lt David Kullgren as Newtown’s new chief of police in late January, and he was sworn in February 4.

Among his earliest accomplishments was the hiring of Bryan Bishop, formerly the commanding officer of the Danbury Police Department’s Detective Division, as the new captain in Newtown.

“Chief Viadero really helped shape the culture of the PD in a positive way,” said First Selectman Dan Rosenthal. “Then to see someone promoted from within, the tradition was seamless. Dave was well received by the department and had the right approach, and understands the community well.”

Bishop was sworn in on March 25.

Kullgren said during the swearing in ceremony that the Newtown Police Department’s foundation had been “built very strong” under Viadero and the department is “on great ground now.” He noted that Lt Steve Seabrook is now in charge of the detective bureau and that he has been named new chief, and now the department is “celebrating its new captain.”

“I look forward to orient him to our ways, and slow him down from Danbury’s ways,” said Kullgren.

Kullgren said there were “eight quality people” in the running for the captain position and it was the responsibility of both him and the Police Commission to choose the “best person who would work for everybody in the department.”

“The candidates all had great qualities, but [Bishop] is the person who can work with all of us, on good days and bad days,” said Kullgren.

Bishop is a Shelton resident, where he lives with his wife and three daughters. Captain Bishop served in Danbury for 27 years. While in Danbury, he held many titles such as detective captain, lieutenant, sergeant, and internal affairs officer. His duties have included supervising the crime scene unit and special victims unit.

He will remain the commanding officer for the Regional Emergency Services Unit.

Following Bishop’s hiring, the two teamed up to complete the hiring of a number of new lieutenants, sergeants, and officers.

Community Services Unit

The final pieces of the department’s puzzle were put in place in late July with the creation of the Community Services unit and the promotion of two new sergeants.

Sgt Adam James was named the supervisor of the patrol division, and Sgt William Chapman was announced as head of the Community Services unit.

Chapman has been a member of the Newtown Police Department for 14 years and the school resource officer at Newtown Middle School for seven. As the Community Services Division head, Chapman didn’t step away from the schools entirely, as his department is intended to help “create time and space for officers to be more invested in the community.”

In the past, while a number of officers have taken initiative with community projects, such as Officer MaryHelen McCarthy with Senior Services, Officer Felicia Figol with Cadet training and Sgt Matthew Wood taking charge of the Citizen’s Police Academy, it was often difficult for officers to devote time to those duties as their duties to the patrol division took priority.

The Community Services Division changed that. Youth Services fell under the umbrella of the Community Services Division and Chapman will still be able to be involved with the schools, with the faculty, staff and students. This division has the responsibility of focusing on all social and community engagement activities to include School Resource Officers, traffic concerns and event planning.

Bobbi the Bear

Many residents from Newtown and a large area surrounding it were dismayed to hear of the shooting in May of a black bear known locally as Bobbi the Bear. Not under the jurisdiction of the Newtown Police Department, the incident and subsequent investigation instead fell to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police.

On May 12, EnCon Police and Newtown Police responded to a report of a Newtown homeowner who had shot a black bear. The shooting by Lawrence Clarke left a pair of three- to four-month-old bear cubs orphaned. After several days and public pressure to take them to a rehabilitator, the cubs were tranquilized, captured, and taken to Kilham Bear Center in New Hampshire, where they were named Indra and Izzy. The goal of the bear center is to release the cubs back into the wild when they are older.

Following a nearly two-month investigation, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police announced on July 8 that no charges will be filed in the shooting of Bobbi the Bear.

A press release from DEEP stated that following a comprehensive investigation, and coordination with Newtown Police Department and the Geographical Area (GA) #3 State’s Attorney’s Office in Danbury, officers concluded their investigation into the killing of the bear known by DEEP Wildlife Division as bear #217. Based upon the facts of the investigation, the State’s Attorney’s office concluded there is insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Clarke.

Clarke told investigators he shot the bear after it came on his property several times over a number of days, breaking into his chicken coop and killing his chickens. He said he shot the bear in defense of himself and his grandchild.

The investigator states towards the end of the filed report that he believes “Clarke killed the bear in defense of himself and his agricultural property.”

“Clarke should not be subject to any criminal charges,” states the report.

The report also notes that on Friday, May 6, a “bear matching the same description was involved in multiple nuisance wildlife calls to Newtown Police Department, resulting in a follow-up assistance request to DEEP conservation officers.

The press release issued July 8 stated that in coordination with the Danbury State’s Attorney’s office, DEEP EnCon Police reviewed the historical reports of bear #217. Since 2017, bear #217 was captured in Waterbury, tagged, and relocated on two separate occasions because it was showing signs of habituation.

Following its relocation, it had over 175 documented human interactions, most occurring in the Southbury, Redding, and Newtown areas. Based on bear #217’s behavior and frequent interactions with humans it was considered a “habituated” and “food-conditioned” bear, meaning it had lost its fear of humans and had learned to associate humans with sources of food.

Pursuant to Connecticut statutes, it is a crime to kill a bear. However, there are exceptions when a person fears for their safety, and farmers can utilize lethal force to protect livestock. When a bear is killed, Environmental Conservation Police investigate. It is the state’s attorney’s duty to determine if a chargeable criminal offense has occurred. DEEP stated that the state’s attorney’s office only files charges if there is “sufficient evidence for a specific charge beyond a reasonable doubt.”

In September, a number of residents including State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) came to the Police Commission in September hoping to “re-open the case.”

Newtown Police Chief David Kullgren reported that since the State’s Attorney’s Office “indicated that [Clarke] was not in violation of state law,” there is “no cause” for Newtown Police Department to charge Clarke with a violation of Newtown’s ordinance prohibiting the discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of neighboring homes.

David Ackert, a local resident and business owner who compiled a petition of 350-plus residents, lawmakers, activists and advocates that was delivered to the Chief State Attorney’s office in Rocky Hill recently, told the commission that residents are “fearful and concerned” about a violation of the town’s gun ordinance, and noted that there were a number of recent incidents concerning residents, including in Thomaston, Burlington, Southbury, and Simsbury, who had all been charged in the shooting of bears.

Bolinsky said he found the incident “concerning,” and that he had concerns with how DEEP handled the case.

Long-Missing Resident Found

Robert Hoagland, a Sandy Hook resident who had been missing since July 2013, was found, deceased, in New York. The announcement was made Wednesday, December 7, by Newtown Police Department.

The Sullivan County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Department responded to an untimely death of a male at a residence in Rock Hill, N.Y., on December 5. Papers found at the scene identified the man as Hoagland.

While they initially could not identify the deceased man, the Sullivan Country police eventually found papers showing the name Robert Hoagland. Their search revealed that Robert Hoagland was missing from Newtown. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department then contacted Newtown PD with possible information on the whereabouts of Hoagland.

In early December, Newtown Police Detectives met with representatives from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department and confirmed the identity of Robert Hoagland. The detectives learned that Robert Hoagland had been living in Sullivan County since around November 2013 and was using the name Richard King.

Hoagland’s remains were taken to the Sullivan County Coroner for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of his death; however, there were no signs of foul play.

Robert “Hoagy” Hoagland had been reported missing on July 9, 2013, after failing to pick up a family member from the airport. Through the investigation launched it was learned that he had also failed to show up for work that day, a Monday.

Officers found the family vehicles, Hoagland’s wallet, medication, and cell phone at the family home.

In their investigation, police searched the area surrounding his residence, including woods, trails, and nearby Lake Zoar, with no evidence found that Hoagland had been in the area after his disappearance. Hoagland was last seen locally on Sunday, July 28, 2013, at the convenience store of the Mobil gas station on Church Hill Road.

A number of leads were followed but did not lead to Hoagland. Police theorized that Hoagland had either left on his own or been a victim of foul play.

Before his disappearance, Hoagland worked as a real estate appraiser in the Bridgeport area. He was 50 at the time of the disappearance.

The investigation remained open, and sightings were received and investigated nationwide. The disappearance of Robert Hoagland received lots of media attention, including a feature on the Investigation Discovery series “Disappeared.”

Police Catch Carjacker

In April, police arrested a Bethel man in regards to a kidnapping and home invasion incident.

Newtown Police Detectives served an arrest warrant with nine serious charges on April 27 to Christopher Lemke, 33, of Bethel.

The warrant was in addition to charges already filed against Lemke by Connecticut State Police.

The Newtown arrest warrant served charged him with home invasion, first-degree kidnapping while in possession of a firearm, first-degree burglary with a deadly weapon, first-degree robbery, first-degree larceny, criminal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, carrying a dangerous weapon, and possession with intent to sell narcotics.

The mid-April incident involving Lemke developed as Danbury police along with Western Connecticut Regional SWAT officers were accompanying Newtown officers April 14 preparing to execute a search and seizure warrant at a local residence. Lemke apparently became aware of the police presence and escaped from the scene on foot before the warrant was served.

Police reported that Lemke fled through the woods and made it to a neighborhood north of Mt Pleasant Road near its intersection with Blackman Road before breaking into the unlocked residence. At the same time, police K-9 units that were reportedly training Thursday morning at 3 Main Street — the former police station headquarters — responded to the scene to assist in the search.

Once inside the residence, police say Lemke kidnapped an individual inside at gunpoint and fled in a stolen white BMW. Luckily, the victim was able to escape from the vehicle a short distance away.

Police report that individual was not physically injured. Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps responded to the residence to provide assistance and support.

Officers were able to transmit the suspect and vehicle information out quickly and the BMW was located by Connecticut State police (CSP) traveling on I-84 East near the Rochambeau Bridge. After a brief chase, police say the vehicle crashed near Exit 15 in Southbury and Lemke was apprehended.

Previously, Lemke was charged by state police for the incident with criminal possession of a pistol or revolver, stealing a firearm, illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, possession with intent to sell a narcotic, use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd-degree reckless endangerment, engaging police in pursuit, and reckless driving.

Lemke has a long history of criminal arrests. He was also being investigated in a missing persons case, for Carlos Reyes, 20, of Danbury, who was last seen in March.

Other Police Incidents

Reports of mail thefts increased in December, prompting local police to issue reminders to residents to be careful with what they leave in mailboxes and where they have packages delivered. Local police were close to apprehending at least one suspect this month before the person being tailed by officers refused to stop and drove at high speeds through a residential area before accessing I-84.

A heavily disguised woman attempted to cash a fraudulent check at a Newtown Savings Bank branch in early December. She too was able to escape capture when she drove recklessly through the Village at Newtown and then the adjacent Caraluzzi’s parking lot on Queen Street, sideswiping the vehicle of an innocent bystander before barreling out of the parking lot.

Newtown Police reinforced their consideration to the safety of the public in not having officers pursue the suspect as she fled the area.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.