A Connecticut man has filed a federal lawsuit against a Connecticut State Police trooper alleging he abused his power as a policeman to harass him.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut on behalf of Gregory Gabriele. The 28-page complaint alleges that Connecticut State Police Trooper First Class John Myer “embarked on a sustained course of personal harassment and abuse of police authority directed” at Gabriele “for personal reasons.”
The accusations outlined in the complaint include Myer allegedly pulling Gabriele over multiple times, which led to him serving jail time, and alleged attempts to get other police to take enforcement against Gabriele. The lawsuit also alleges Myer falsely told a pharmacist at the CVS in Norwalk that Gabriele was being investigated for selling prescription drugs, which temporarily prevented him from having access to his prescription medication.
The defendants named in the complaint include Myer, Col. Daniel Loughman, commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police, CVS and one of its pharmacists.
Spokespersons for CVS and state police declined to comment Thursday.
The 20-count lawsuit alleges that Gabriele’s First, Fourth and 14th Amendments were violated and that he suffered an invasion of privacy. The complaint accuses CVS of breaching his medical confidentiality. It also contends that Loughman suspended Myer following an internal affairs investigation but that he should have been fired.
According to the lawsuit, Myer allegedly began abusing his police powers against Gabriele in September 2021. At the time, Myer was dating Gabriele’s sister and living in a home with her that was owned by Gabriele’s father, the complaint states. Gabriele lived next door on Box Wood Road in Norwalk.
Myer’s alleged “pattern of misconduct” started after he “inserted himself” into a family dispute involving Gabriele’s sister, the lawsuit alleges. During a dispute over mail being delivered to Gabriele’s home on Sept. 16, 2021, Myer allegedly threatened to arrest him and contacted the Norwalk Police Department, the complaint states. Gabriele alleges he found a ticket on his “lawfully parked vehicle” later that day.
Ten days later, Myer allegedly pulled Gabriele over near his home and issued him a summons for misuse of a license plate. Myer allegedly seized the plate and failed to follow state police procedures when he did not log it as inventory, the complaint said.
Gabriele later appeared in court in connection with the stop and alleges that he was sentenced to jail.
Gabriele filed a complaint against Myer with the state police Internal Affairs Unit, the lawsuit said. While the complaint was pending, Myer allegedly contacted Norwalk police and told them Gabriele was misusing a license plate again, the lawsuit contends. He allegedly encouraged an officer to issue a summons and said he did not want to issue one himself because of the pending internal investigation.
According to the lawsuit, an officer allegedly warned Myer that he appeared to be using police resources to harass Gabriele.
In April 2022, Myer allegedly contacted Norwalk police again about a vehicle that was parked at Gabriele’s home with its lights on, the lawsuit said. An officer made contact with the driver, who agreed to turn the lights off. According to the civil complaint, Myer allegedly made a false claim to the officer that Gabriele was selling used cars from the home and that he was in contact with the state’s attorneys office about it.
Later in the month, Gabriele learned that the internal affairs investigation had concluded without sustaining the allegations against Myer, the lawsuit said. The complaint alleges that Loughman oversaw the investigation and approved its findings.
On Jan. 19, 2023, Gabriele alleges that he became involved in a dispute with Myer at a CVS on Main Avenue. Gabriele contacted someone for a ride during the incident.
According to the complaint, Myer was off duty when he pulled the woman over as she left the CVS parking lot. Another trooper who was aware of the history between Myer and Gabriele learned of the stop and responded to the scene. During a subsequent interview in an internal affairs investigation that followed a second citizen’s complaint, the trooper allegedly described Myer’s actions as “petty” and “ridiculous,” the lawsuit contends.
Myer allegedly spent 1 ½ hours at the CVS as Gabriele’s vehicle was parked in the lot and demanded that he surrender its license plate, the lawsuit said. Myer also allegedly contacted a supervisor and asked if he could arrest Gabriele despite being off duty, the complaint states. The supervisor reportedly told him he was worried that the request was personal and that he was “specifically targeting” Gabriele, which the sergeant said would “set off numerous red flags,” the complaint states.
When told he could not arrest Gabriele, Myer allegedly tried to have a Norwalk officer make the arrest, the lawsuit said. Myer also allegedly issued Gabriele a summons for three motor vehicle charges, seized his license plate and had his vehicle towed, the complaint states. Gabriele alleges in the civil action that he had to appear in court in connection with the incident and was again sentenced to jail.
In February 2023, Myer allegedly pulled Gabriele over on Interstate 95 in Darien while he was off duty and kept him at the scene for nearly an hour, the civil complaint contends. The reason for the stop was for “alleged speeding” and a fake Florida dealer plate, according to the lawsuit.
Myer did not issue a summons, but he allegedly seized the plate and directed Gabriele to drive the vehicle to a commuter lot with a verbal warning, the lawsuit said.
Following the incident at CVS, the lawsuit alleges Myer returned to the pharmacy and told the pharmacist that Gabriele was being investigated for “diverting and selling prescription medication.” The pharmacist allegedly disclosed Gabriele’s medication information to Myer and contacted his physician’s office, telling staff that Gabriele was under investigation for “prescription drug abuse,” the complaint states. Gabriele alleges that the office then refused to fill his next prescription until he came in to see the doctor.
According to the lawsuit, the second citizen’s complaint filed against Myer substantiated claims that he was misusing his authority for personal reasons and failed to follow state police protocols. This led to a 45-day suspension. The civil complaint contends that Myer should have been fired by Loughman and that he should have notified the Police Officer Standards and Training Council.
The lawsuit, which was filed in December, remains pending in federal court. The action calls for a jury trial.