City fights reinstatement of fired cop who berated immigrant

DANBURY, Conn. – A city in Connecticut is fighting efforts to allow a police officer who was fired for berating and threatening an immigrant return to the force.

Danbury officials are appealing an arbitration panel’s finding that former Officer Christopher Belair’s behaviour during a traffic stop was “outrageous and disturbing” but the city did not have just cause to fire him.

Belair was fired after video surfaced showing him using profanities while threatening to beat a driver and telling him to leave the country. The News-Times reports the arbitration panel said a 90-day suspension would have been more appropriate.

Belair was charged after the confrontation but was acquitted in 2015 of third-degree assault and threatening.

Neither Belair nor his lawyer could be reached for comment, but Belair previously said he still wanted to help people.

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Information from: The News-Times, http://www.newstimes.com