A traffic stop involving a mayoral candidate in Hamden has caused a political stir as some are pushing for the body camera footage from the stop to be released.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Hamden Police Chief Edward Page Reynolds said the police department has received multiple requests under the Freedom of Information Act calling for the release of footage and related records from the Sept. 3 stop involving Dominique Baez, the Democratic frontrunner in the mayoral race.
In his statement, Reynolds did not say why Reynolds was pulled over. He said the investigating officer “exercised their professional judgment” and issued a warning instead of a citation.
“I fully support that decision as being within the scope of their lawful authority and consistent with our department’s policies and practices,” Reynolds said.
“It is important to emphasize that traffic enforcement decisions rest within the sound discretion of the officer at the scene,” Reynolds continued. “Officers are trained to evaluate a wide range of factors, including the nature of the violation, the driver’s history, and the totality of the circumstances.”
The statement was issued in the morning hours as voters were expected to hit the polls for Primary Day. Baez, the Legislative Council president, is being challenged by Jonathan Katz, who is running as a Republican, as well as petitioning candidate Jameka Jeffries. The race was left wide open when Mayor Lauren Garrett announced earlier this year that she would not be running for re-election.
Tom Figlar, an at-large Legislative Council member, was just one of multiple people calling for the body camera footage from Baez’s traffic stop to be released. A number of users on social media also demanded the footage.
“What I can tell you is what me and one other council person did is we FOI requested the body camera footage and everything that happened the following day,” said Figlar, who acknowledged that he is working on Jeffries’ team. “And we have not heard back. All we got was a response that we’re working on it and that we’ll give you the information once we can.
“Citizens are calling for it to be released as we’re now voting in the primary for who’s going to be running as a Democrat to be the next mayor of this town,” Figlar said. “So what I will say is public outcry is there and they’re not getting what they need to make the best decision possible.”
Baez did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Candidates Katz and Jeffries also did not immediately respond to requests.
“I just want to know the truth,” Figlar said. “I have a bunch of constituents reaching out to me and what do I tell them? I mean, I can’t tell them anything and they’re pissed.”
In his statement, Reynolds said his department does not get involved in political races or issues.
“Our role as a police agency is not to engage in political matters nor endorse any candidate for elected office,” Reynolds said. “We remain impartial and focused on our duty to uphold the law, ensure public safety, and serve all members of our community with fairness and integrity.”
Editor’s note: Due to the primary election being held Tuesday, The Courant waited until polls closed to share this story.
