Tony Barr is no stranger to run-ins with the law. This time the Democratic Town Committee member is accused of slugging a city firefighter that police say was trying to assist him after Barr crashed his vehicle into a fence on Chopsey Hill Road early Saturday morning.
Barr is an intriguing personality study: sometimes affable, sometimes angry. Ya never know which Tony will show up.
News 12’s Frank Recchia caught up with Barr and Fire Chief Lance Edwards in this report.
Bridgeport Fire Chief Lance Edwards pulled no punches Tuesday while defending his department and one unnamed firefighter in particular – the one police say Democratic Town Committee member Tony Barr punched in the face Saturday.
“It’s unfortunate that Mr. Barr has chosen to seek counsel and sue this department after assaulting one of my members,” Edwards told News 12. “We condemn this type of behavior, and it will not be tolerated.”
Barr is accused of assaulting the firefighter that police say was trying to help him after he, Barr, crashed his SUV into a fence on Chopsey Hill Road around 4 a.m. Saturday. Barr – who was not seriously injured in the single-vehicle accident – claims the firefighter conducted an illegal search of Barr’s vehicle and “overstepped his authority by a mile.”
“He had no reason to be going through my glove compartment and asking me to get out of the car when I told him twice I was fine and didn’t need any help,” Barr told News 12’s Frank Recchia.
A police report obtained by News 12 says Barr was “passed out and slumped over” when first responders arrived on scene. The report says Barr “was spoken to for over 30 minutes and refused to step out,” becoming “combative.”
Barr’s attorney, Dennis Bradley, said Barr was “searched forcefully and without his consent.” “We’re going to be seeking civil remedies in a lawsuit against the Bridgeport Fire Department for violating my client’s constitutional rights,” Bradley said.
Tony Barr was not likely working for or with the Democratic Town Committee when he was involved in a one-vehicle accident with a fence at 4AM on a weekend morning as reported above.
The article, which quotes Fire Chief Lance Edwards and Channel 12 Frank Recchia reporting, provide more details about a police report noting details of what faced City public safety employees from Police and Fire when they arrived at the scene.
What are the facts of the incident? All of them likely with supporting camera evidence? An aggressive response for ‘invading claimed rights of privacy, etc.’, and then retaining an attorney who is authorized to threaten suing the City? Does this make sense to anyone who is a citizen, voter, and taxpayer in Bridgeport?
Perhaps the Democratic Town Committee will proceed to live up to rules and responsibilities they have to the State Democratic Committee including website, communications, reporting, etc. other than making certain that members of District Committees reside in the City, as is the current situation of one local member who also receives a check for employment from the City. Is the City merely a “piggy bank” or do folks have duties, obligations, and responsibilities as citizens before they begin to complain? What are the CIVICS lessons that instruct expectations? Bring on CASUAL CIVIC CONVERSATIONS in every District. Isn’t it an election year, municipally? Time will tell.
It seems that in return for not pursuing its future seriously — in the context of not mounting a full-scale political/legal assault on the state for its “due” as Connecticut’s largest city and regional service center/social problems repository/obtrusive-degrading regional infrastructure center — the state allows us “autonomy.” Let the DTC divide up the spoils and reward the spoilers….. Let their “friends” break the law and stay on the Council, remain as ward heelers, etc…. (The Governor telling us that it was “time to move on” in the midst of our unresolved, unprosecuted ballot-stuffing scandal comes to mind…. Imagining a private conversation between Governor Lamont and say, Jim Himes –“It’s only Bridgeport. If we let them self-destruct, we can give their money to Stamford and Hartford….)
Reading this editorial coverage, certainly sounds like he was drunk. Maybe it’s the 4:00am thing.
Was he charged?
All I know of Barr is what I’ve read in the paper or seen on News 12 over the years. Does not leave me with a positive impression. But then would be true of any number of Bridgeport councilmen as well.