Montville ― A police officer who used a homophobic slur and profanity toward a suspect during an arrest last year has received a verbal warning and was required to attend a one-hour training course on deescalation techniques.

On Thursday, the department released several documents including a certificate stating Sgt. Michael Pelletier had completed the mandatory course administered by the state Police Officer Standards and Training Council.

The documents, which included police reports, were released after The Day filed a Freedom of Information request for them last week.

In a letter accompanying the documents Thursday, Chief Wilfred Blanchette said when he became aware of the comments made by Pelletier, he addressed the situation with his officer immediately.

“Sgt. Pelletier admitted that he had made a mistake by making the comments that he did, expressed remorse and assured me that this would never happen again,” Blanchette added.

Blanchette said he issued Pelletier a verbal warning, and directed him to take the training, which he completed shortly after the incident.

Blanchette said Pelletier has been a member of the Montville department for 14 years, and called him “an exemplary police officer.”

“He immediately owned up to his mistake and was sincere in his regret for his comments,” he said. “I am confident that this was an isolated mistake which will not occur again.”

The release of the training certificate and reports of the incident came a week after the department released body camera video and audio depicting the arrest of Zachary Barbarossa.

He was charged with attempting to steal drugs from a prescription drug drop box in the police station lobby on July 24, 2023. During his arrest, officer Daniel Witts’ department-issued handgun discharged. No one was injured.

The department refused to release the video last year after The Day requested it, saying the New London State’s Attorney’s Office told them not to release it while Barbarossa’s case was pending.

The newspaper successfully appealed the denial to the state Freedom of Information Commission which ordered police to release the video. Documents released by the town Thursday shows it spent $2,636 in legal fees in its unsuccessful attempt to delay the release of the video to The Day.

The same day as the video release, the Day filed a second Freedom of Information request for copies of reports, investigations and disciplinary actions involving Barbarossa’s arrest or the gun discharge.

On Thursday, the department released the incident reports of the nine officers who were present in the police station lobby during the gun discharge, along with one incident report completed by investigating officer Stephen Fazzino of Barbarossa’s arrest.

Video shows gunshot, slur

The video, taken from the body camera of Officer Ryan Hughes, depicted Barbarossa and police exchanging foul language as several police officers take him to the ground in an effort to handcuff him.

When Witts bent over to grab Barbarossa’s feet so be could be brought to a cell, Witts’ Sig Sauer P320 fired.

“I heard a loud bang that sounded like a gunshot. Everyone froze in place and when I looked towards Officer Witts to see what happened I observed Officer Witts with his hands up and smoke emanating from his holster. I observed that Officer Witts’ firearm was still in its holster with its retention hood in place,” wrote Sgt. Matthew Shepard in his report.

In his report, Sgt. Travis Sumpf said when he heard the bang he asked if a firework had gone off. He also wrote that he then observed a flattened hollowpoint bullet on the ground.

Officer Tyler Hughes wrote in his report that nothing had touched the gun’s trigger and Witts’ weapon had not been manipulated in any manner.

d.drainville@theday.com