Community Corner
Meriden Officer Evan Cossette Found Guilty in Brutality Case
A federal jury handed down the sentence after over two hours of deliberations.
Evan Cossette, the Meriden police officer accused of shoving an inmate in a holding cell and lying about it to investigators, was found guilty by a federal jury in New Haven on Monday.
According to The Hartford Courant, the jury of nine men and three women found Cossette guilty of the two counts he was facing: using unreasonable force as a police officer and obstructing a federal investigation.
“We thank the members of the jury for their thoughtful consideration of the evidence,” Acting U.S. Attorney Daly said in a press release issued Monday evening. “Our system of justice cannot tolerate abuses by police officers, and today’s verdict helps preserve the integrity of a profession that is entrusted with protecting our liberties as well as our safety.”
Cossette was caught on police surveillance video in 2010 shoving an inmate, Pedro Temich, following Temich's arrest on allegations of drunk driving. Temich fell backwards and hit his head on a concrete bench, causing a bloody gash.
A federal grand jury indicted Cossette, the son of Meriden Police Chief Jeffry Cossette, last November on charges alleging police brutality. The trial began last Tuesday and the video of the exchange with Temich was a piece of key evidence in the case, The Record-Journal noted in many reports this past week.
Cossette now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Record-Journal reported that Cossette is now ineligible to serve as a police officer.
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