FISHKILL – The lawyer for the Town of Fishkill Police union (PBA) has sent a letter to Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra, requesting him to refrain from speaking about the status of ongoing police investigations. At a recent town board meeting, Albra said that a recent shooting victim was innocent, even though the investigation has not been completed.
The full story, with a video of Albra’s declaration of innocence, can be found here.
Marilyn Berson, the attorney for the PBA, sent a letter to Albra on May 16, providing him with an overview of the judicial process regarding the February 26 officer-involved shooting. “As you know full well, the Dutchess County District Attorney’s office has not even begun presenting this case to the Grand Jury. In fact, we do not know whether the investigation is even completed. Ultimately, it will be the Grand Jury that will be hearing all of the evidence and witnesses to this incident, not you, and making its determinations as to the legal culpability of any individual involved.”
The letter asks Albra to refrain from commenting, saying “The PBA is therefore requesting, as have Town Board members and the police administration, that you not comment on the actions or innocence or guilt of any individuals involved,” and noted Albra was out of line for speaking about the case. “You do not know the facts and you have not heard the witnesses. You are only tainting the process, confusing and misleading the public, and disrespecting Town police officers.”
When asked about his comments regarding the investigation, Albra said “I stand by comments that the officers did the right thing. I support them 100 percent. I stand by my comments that if we had cameras, we would know exactly what happened.”
