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NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — New Haven's police chief has been reprimanded by the mayor over a confrontation with an usher at a Yale-Army football game who asked to see his ticket.
A Yale University professor complained that Police Chief Dean Esserman verbally abused the usher at the Sept. 27 game, told him he did not need a ticket as the police chief and asked the usher's supervisor to remove him from the Yale Bowl.
The New Haven Register (http://bit.ly/1w5z1zo) reports that the written reprimand from Mayor Toni Harp warns the chief of severe consequences if his behavior is repeated. She wrote that the chief has made strides with community policing but said a key component of that is respect for New Haven residents, and his actions left the community "feeling disrespected rather than respected."
"As the city's chief law enforcement officer you must understand the importance of the position you hold and behave in a manner that dignifies the office," Harp wrote.
Esserman apologized after the incident. He told the newspaper Thursday that he accepts the mayor's letter "without reservation."
Yale epidemiology professor Dan Weinberger said in his complaint that the confrontation took place before kickoff and Esserman threatened to "shut the whole game down" if the usher did not remove him from the game.
The Board of Police Commissioners is expected to address the complaint at a meeting next month.
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Information from: New Haven Register, http://www.nhregister.com
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