Fired Madison Cop Denied Pension

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

MADISON, CT – A former Madison police officer that was fired nine years ago and subsequently sued and lost his effort to get his job back was unanimously denied a disability pension in a vote of the Pension Committee on June 20th.

Police Officer Daniel Hedges was fired in May of 2008 after police commissioners upheld 21 administrative charges against him relating to “civility, respect and truthfulness,” after he allegedly threatened the lives of superior officers and had tumultuous interactions with civilians before taking a six-month unauthorized leave from the department.

Hedges claimed his termination came as a result of complaints he made to supervisors about favoritism and the department’s failure to adhere to standard operating procedures and the police union bargaining contract.

The pension board, before its vote, reviewed two medical evaluations in conjunction with Hedges’ application. The board noted that the both evaluations were in agreement that Hedges was “not declared totally and permanently disabled as a police officer.”

After he was fired Hedges sued, but a jury at Superior Court in New Haven found that he failed to provide enough evidence that his firing in May 2008 was unjust.