NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Connecticut state trooper taken off the road after a YouTube video surfaced showing him berating a driver during a traffic stop.
State police leaders say they are aware of the profanity-filled video and have launched an internal investigation.
“Trooper Spina was on patrol driving along I 95 south clocking a vehicle that was speeding,” Colonel Stavros Mellekas said.
That’s when state police say another driver also speeding passed the trooper on the right-hand side and got pulled over .
You could hear in a YouTube video posted by the account name Civilian on Patrol begin with the driver asking the trooper why he was speeding.
Then it appears the trooper noticed marijuana in the car to which the driver responded that it was medical marijuana.
The trooper can be heard explaining to the driver he is doing traffic enforcement especially with the uptick of driver’s speeding and it didn’t take before things escalated
State police leaders say Spina has been with the department close to 20 years and is overall a good trooper.
As the more than five-minute-long video continued the trooper is seen searching the driver’s backpack while continuing to yell out his frustrations. The driver also accusing the trooper of threatening to throw him off the bridge.
“We revisit the cameraman side the trooper’s side we look at past performance and we look at all factors involved.”
In the meantime the trooper has been taken off patrol duty and the department has also offered him resources.
“We are going to refer him to get some employee assistance help him with his stress we are going to investigate the incident and we are going to make sure our personnel is going to treat the public the right way,” Mellekas.
In a statement released Tuesday State police reiterate troopers are held to high standard and the video is not a reflection of “the great work of the women and men of the Connecticut State Police and their dedication to protecting and serving during this pandemic.”
It goes on to say “While not an excuse, we are sensitive to this and also referred the trooper to our employee assistance program. We have also recently launched a resiliency program to help all our employees dealing with this pandemic.”
Watch the full video below
(WARNING: Graphic Language. Viewer Discretion is advised)