Two Darien Police Officers Charged by State Police in Shooting Incident

 

Update 8:52 p.m.:

Darien Police Chief Duane Lovello issued a statement giving some additional details about the alleged firing of a gun by one or two town police officers in a residential neighborhood.

Lovello said the incident occurred outside of the home of one of the officers early in the morning of Aug. 1 (a Saturday) when both officers were off duty.

State police said the shots were fired, and an “unoccupied vehicle, owned by James Martin, parked in the driveway at his residence sustained numerous gunshots to the exterior of the vehicle.”

Lovello’s statement also called the alleged shooting “intolerable,” “disturbing,” “profoundly dangerous and wholly irresponsible.”

The police chief’s full statement is here.

Original article:

State police have charged two Darien police officers in connection with an incident in town that resulted in a vehicle with a number of gunshot holes in it.

There was no suggestion in a state police news release that gunshots were fired at any person, and the vehicle was owned by one of the men.

Officer James Martin, 41, of Wakeman Road and Officer Daniel Ehret, 38, of Middlesex Road were charged in arrest warrants in connection with the incident.

State police started the investigation into the incident on Aug. 1. An unoccupied vehicle, owned by Martin and parked in the driveway at his home, was shot up a number of times, according to a news release from the agency.

The state police Central District Major Crime Squad started the investigation on Aug. 1. After a two-month investigation, the squad applied for and received arrest warrants for the two men, each of whom voluntarily turned himself in at State Police Troop I Barracks in Bethany.

Martin and Ehret were each charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree breach of peace and unlawful discharge of a firearm.

Bond was set at $5,000 for each of them and each was scheduled to appear Oct. 19 in state Superior Court in Stamford.

Update 7:24 p.m.:

Both Ehret and Martin have been in the news in past years when they’ve been complimented for good work.

In 2013, Ehret received the department’s highest honor, the Medal of Bravery, after helping two people who then survived a boating accident, according to a post on the department’s Facebook timeline. In July of this year, the Darien Times printed a letter from a family commending Ehret and another officer for helping them after a boating accident on Long Island Sound.

A letter from a town resident commending Ehret for his services and professionalism at the scene of a Jan. 5, 2011 motor vehicle accident was mentioned at a Police Commission meeting that year.

Martin and Ehret have participated in the Darien Cops & Kids program in the previous school year. Martin was one of a short list of officers who was very active in the program, Police Chief Duane Lovello told the Darien Police Commission at a meeting in late August.

Martin was commended in 2013 when he and another officer quickly helped organize volunteer assistance by police statewide in the dozens of funerals that resulted from the shooting at the Sandy Hook elementary school.

“Officer Martin quickly became the de facto statewide coordinator for all the funeral escort activity,” according to a Darien Police Department post on Facebook. He was nominated for the award by Ehret. For his efforts, Martin and another officer received the department’s Award for Outstanding Service.

Martin also has been a member of the Darien Police Association board of directors.

Editor’s note: This article was updated at 6:50 p.m. to note that each of the arrested men is a Darien police officer.