Old Saybrook Police Apologize For Interrogating Disabled Man

OLD SAYBROOK, CT — Old Saybrook police on Tuesday apologized to the family of a man with Down syndrome who was interrogated over a stolen street sign.

Police falsely accused CJ Roy of stealing the sign, according to his sister, Rebecca.

Rebecca Roy said the family was at their Old Saybrook beach cottage Saturday when four police officers, including police Chief Michael Spera, rolled up. Police said a photograph showed a vehicle that matched the description of one owned by Rebecca, with a male driver who swiped the street sign. For nearly an hour, police questioned CJ, Rebecca and her mother about the theft.

CJ Roy does not drive.

Rebecca posted to Facebook about the encounter, which led to an outcry over the treatment of the intellectually disabled man.

The family, with the help of the Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut, met with Spera, Capt. Jeffrey DePerry, Sgt. Christopher DeMarco and Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna.

"The officers involved in the incident apologized to my brother and my family for the way we perceived their actions," Rebecca wrote in an update. "We appreciate their willingness to have a conversation with us and are relieved to report that CJ left the meeting with a stronger sense of security and safety."

Rebecca added police "will not be releasing a public apology."

The Old Saybrook Police Department's Facebook page was flooded with comments from people angry about how the family was treated. The page was deactivated Tuesday evening.

Rebecca said she wrote her original post to advocate for her brother. It was shared by nearly 20,000 people.

She said police told her brother to "just hand over the sign."As officers were preparing to do a search of the cottage, another photo of the suspect car showed that the rims on the vehicle did not match hers and the officers left.

Rebecca thanked people for their support.

"Thank you to everyone who has shown us support and shared our frustration and hurt over the last few days," she wrote. "I never imagined that this message would reach so many people. Now that it has, I hope it will serve as a catalyst for positive change and a better understanding of how law enforcement and the community-at-large can best approach and interact with those with special needs. With that being said, I’m sure you can understand that my family would appreciate privacy at this time, primarily so CJ can put this behind him."

Rebecca said the Down syndrome association helped the family navigate the situation.

"The Roy family filed a formal complaint after the incident, and the Old Saybrook Police Department quickly responded," the agency said in a statement. "We applaud the Roy family for speaking up. It is daunting to question authority."

The agency recognized the police department's "swift response to the complaint and its willingness to learn from this situation. It takes effort from all parties to work out problems like this and the officers involved stepped forward willingly to make things right.

"Both parties have reached a better understanding of the circumstances that led to the encounter, as well as the challenges and repercussions that can result from stressful interactions with first responders."

The agency said it will be " sharing resources with the department to augment their current required training." And it will be submitting testimony to the Connecticut Police Accountability Task Force on the importance of training for awareness in law enforcement regarding the level of care that is often necessary in addressing members of our community.

"We look forward to working with the Old Saybrook Police Department and others to keep everyone safe," it said.