Beacon Dispatch: Two New Lawsuits Filed Against City

Latest suits highlight animosity between police and City officials

by Jeffery Battersby

On March 3, 2006 and March 17, 2006 Beacon residents Sandra Tabone and Shannon and Manley Finch filed two separate lawsuits against the City of Beacon and City Administrator Joseph Braun. In the suits, the plaintiffs allege that Braun and the City of Beacon issued memos that, “…purposefully and effectively deprived Plaintiffs, their family and members of their household of all police emergency services, leaving them at personal risk as potential victims of crime, as potential subjects of medical emergencies, and… as resident/citizens who potentially will require but be denied other police and/or emergency services.”

These two suits are the 7th and 8th to be filed against the City of Beacon that have a direct tie to the Beacon Police Department. They also highlight the combative nature of the relationship between the Chief of Police, Richard Sassi, Sr. and City Administrator Joseph Braun, underscoring the effect this relationship may be having on the citizens of this community. All of these suits are ultimately being fought at the taxpayer’s expense.

Download related documents here:

The commencement of these suits was the result of action taken by City of Beacon Chief of Police Richard Sassi after he received a memo from Administrator Braun, dated February 10, 2006, regarding Tabone and the Finches. At the time the memo was issued, the City of Beacon Police Department was conducting an internal investigation with regard to Police Officer Anthony Rios who, it was alleged, had undeservedly received a meritorious award for saving the life of Finch’s child. Rios was recently elevated to a position of Police Detective. Richard Sassi Jr., the Chief’s son, presently has a civil case pending against the City of Beacon with regard to the Rios promotion and the City’s newly implemented nepotism law. The same attorney represents Richard Sassi, Jr., Sandra Tabone, and the Finch family, and also represents Chief Sassi in his free speech lawsuit against the City.

The memo from Braun—which the Dispatch has obtained and prints here today, along with three related documents—clearly indicates the Rios investigation as its purpose, stating that, “The investigation of Detective Rios is to cease immediately…” But the subsequent five paragraphs, which give direction with regard to police contact with Sandra Tabone and the Finch family, are written vaguely, and could be interpreted as Braun directing the BPD to withhold all police and emergency services from the two families.

On February 14, 2006, as the result of Braun’s initial memo, Chief Sassi issued a memo to all personnel of the BPD summarizing the main points of the Braun memo with regard to police contact with Sandy Tabone and the Finch family. Chief Sassi’s summary failed to make any mention of the Rios investigation with regard to that contact and was also issued as a “… direct order,” to the officers under his command. One month later, on March 17th, 2006, via an internal messaging system, Chief Sassi told BPD officers to, “… disregard the prior directive from City Administrator Joe Braun regarding the Tabone and Finch subjects…” Twelve days after this message, Chief Sassi clarified Braun’s original directive stating that, “…concerning the Tabone and Finch families: [do] not engage in any contact with the two mentioned families relative, either directly or indirectly, to the Rios investigation.” (emphasis added)

Chief Sassi was not named as a party in the lawsuit.

All these documents, including the complaints by Sandra Tabone and the Finch Family, are available for download from the Beacon Dispatch website.