A Hartford police officer was arrested and put on paid administrative leave this week after staff at a local hospital raised concerns about his conduct while guarding a patient who was in custody.
According to police, Officer Marcello Confeiteiro was assigned on July 18 to guard a man who had been arrested on two outstanding warrants. Court records indicate the man's feet were shackled, and one of his hands was handcuffed to a hospital bed.
Police say at approximately 4:20 a.m., the man began to behave erratically, then punched Confeiteiro in the face with his free hand, leaving the officer dazed. Confeiteiro then punched the prisoner in the face to subdue him and secured the man鈥檚 free hand to the bed, according to an application for an arrest warrant.
The prisoner was charged with assault and interfering with an officer.
A patrol supervisor deemed Confeiteiro鈥檚 use of force lawful and justified, since it was an effort to defend himself and control the situation, according to the warrant.
After the scuffle, however, an emergency room nurse reported to a hospital supervisor that Confeiteiro went back into the room and slapped the fully-restrained prisoner, according to the warrant. Police then launched an internal affairs investigation after being notified the hospital planned to file a complaint.
Records show investigators received conflicting information from witnesses about what occurred. A hospital manager told police that one nurse saw Confeiteiro slap the prisoner after he was secured to the hospital bed. Two other nurses who were in the hallway said they 鈥渉eard a loud noise that they believed was consistent with a slap,鈥� according to the warrant. An officer who responded to the hospital after the initial altercation also told investigators that Confeiteiro walked over to the prisoner and 鈥渟lapped him with an open hand to the face,鈥� according to the warrant.
However, a hospital security officer who was also present said he didn鈥檛 see Confeiteiro slap the man, or hear a noise that sounded like a slap. When he was later interviewed, the prisoner also denied that Confeiteiro slapped him, and 鈥渟pontaneously stated three times that he did not want Officer Confeiteiro to get in trouble or be fired,鈥� according to the warrant.
Confeiteiro declined to be interviewed during the probe. Multiple phone and email messages for Confeiteiro requesting comment were not returned.
The Hartford Police Department鈥檚 Internal Affairs Division charged Confeiteiro with second degree breach of peace, finding there was probable cause that Confeiteiro 鈥渆ngaged in violent behavior that caused alarm鈥� to others who were present, according to the arrest warrant.
He turned himself in on Aug. 28 and was released on a written promise to appear, Hartford Police Department spokesperson Aaron Boisvert said.
Confeiteiro is scheduled to appear at Hartford Community Court for a hearing on Sept. 4, according to court records.
No attorney was listed and no plea has yet been entered on behalf of Confeiteiro.
The internal investigation is ongoing, Boisvert said.
