Details Emerge After CT Teacher/School Board Member and Cop Arrested At Baseball Game

New details have been released about a recent incident at a Hartford Yard Goats game which led to the arrests of two men — a teacher in Milford and an Orange cop.

Hartford police arrested both on July 11, claiming they were intoxicated, caused a disturbance, and refused to leave the premises.

The teacher, John Hatfield, 40, was charged with disorderly conduct and first-degree criminal trespass, and police claim he made sexually inappropriate comments to juveniles.

Orange Police Sgt. Frank Koshes, 57, was charged with disorderly conduct, interfering with an officer/resisting, and first-degree criminal trespass. Police claim Koshes pushed a police officer.

Hatfield is a social studies instructor at Platt Technical High School in Milford and a Seymour Board of Education member.

Kerry Markey, communications director for Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS), which oversees Platt Technical High School, said, “We are aware of the arrest and are reviewing the matter in accordance with district policies.”

According to Markey, Hatfield is not currently in a school building or interacting with students because it is summer break.

“CTECS is taking this matter very seriously, however, because this is a personnel matter we cannot comment further,” Markey said.

Seymour Superintendent of Schools Susan Compton did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hatfield is listed on the district’s website as a school board member.

Orange Chief of Police Robert Gagne said Koshes reported his arrest in Hartford to the department, and an internal investigation is underway.

“The Orange Police Department takes these matters seriously and will be conducting an internal investigation into this incident,” Gagne said.

According to Gagne, Koshes has no disciplinary history in the nine years he has been with the department. Gagne declined to comment further, citing a personnel matter.

Hartford Police Reports Outline Events

Hartford police have released reports that give details on the July incident.

A female employee at the Yard Goats Team Store told police she overheard Hatfield make inappropriate comments towards a group of juveniles stating he would "bang" them, according to police. The employee understood the comment to mean he would engage in sexual activity with the juveniles, police reports show.

The witness told police one of the juveniles silently whispered, “Help me!”

The witness said Hatfield entered the store and asked about the age of another employee inside. That worker is about 15 or 16 years old, according to police.

“She reported Mr. Hatfield continued to make inappropriate and sexual comments about the juvenile employee,” police wrote, in a report.

A supervisor was alerted, and police assigned to the stadium arrived on scene.

Officers observed two men standing against a wall, and one of them began shouting while holding his cell phone up as if recording. Police indicated the man’s speech was slurred and he “appeared uneasy on his feet, as if he was intoxicated.”

Police asked Yard Goats staff if the two men needed to leave the premises, and a worker said they had both been asked to leave, police reports show.

Police said Koshes identified himself as a police sergeant and said he was not leaving. When police told him it was private property and he had been asked to leave, police said Koshes stuck his finger in an officer’s face and touched his chest.

“There were three females with Koshes and the other man, who were also pleading for Koshes to leave the property. For several minutes, Koshes continued yelling and refusing to leave, drawing the attention of several unassociated patrons and their children inside the Yard Goats Stadium,” a report states.

Police said they were eventually able to convince Koshes to leave the stadium and go out on the public sidewalk.

“Shortly after we got outside the stadium, Koshes continued yelling, stepping off the sidewalk into the street. Traffic was stopped in front of the stadium, where several passing motorists' attention was drawn to Koshes’ antics,” a police report states.

Police claim Koshes put his hand on a sergeant’s chest and lightly pushed him, and Koshes was then taken into custody.

According to police, Koshes’ wife, who was also in attendance, informed police she saw her husband put his hands on the sergeant.

Koshes also tried to resist the officers while he was being placed in handcuffs, according to police reports.

Police claim in their reports that both men appeared intoxicated, with a detectable odor of alcohol on them.

Neither man has entered a plea yet. Koshes is due back in court on July 30, and Hatfield appears next on July 31.

Read more:

Orange Cop Arrested At Baseball Game, Internal Affairs Probe Launched