An abortion clinic volunteer who called Hartford police this spring to report a problem with anti-abortion protesters got the cold shoulder from the Hartford patrol officer who responded, according to an internal investigation released this week.
Officer Michael Flynn was disciplined for a discourteous attitude and violating the code of conduct in his handling of the March incident outside the Hartford GYN Center, an abortion provider and family planning center on Jefferson Street. He was counseled by his patrol captain and ordered to attend a re-training on procedural justice and police legitimacy, interim-Police Chief Jason Thody said.
Called to the clinic on March 9, Flynn told a group of protesters that a city ordinance could prohibit them from blocking access to the clinic. However, he also told the protesters that the same ordinance could apply to the clinic volunteers, and then “purposefully ignored” several requests for clarification from the volunteer who originally called the police, according to the internal investigation report.
“In situations where there is tension and high stress, all police officers are still expected to be courteous and respectful, especially towards the complainant, as in this matter,” the report concluded. “… Walking away from a complainant who is clearly asking for clarification on a matter is not an acceptable practice of the Hartford Police Department.”
As part of the investigation, the department reviewed footage of the incident shot by another person who was volunteering that morning as an escort for clients coming and going from the clinic. The Hartford GYN is a regular site of protests, and volunteers meet there each Saturday to walk with clients, shielding them from any anti-abortion harassment.
On this Saturday in March, volunteers decided to call the police because the protesters were blocking the doors to the clinic. Flynn arrived about an hour later, according to call logs in the internal report.
In the video, Flynn is seen greeting the caller on the sidewalk outside of Hartford GYN, asking how he can help, and then gathering her and the protesters together to talk. Flynn shakes hands with the three protesters, but not the volunteer; that bothered her, the woman told investigators.
Flynn then explains to the group that there is a loitering ordinance in Hartford, and that “if you do inhibit pedestrians or anyone entering this property, you could be in violation of that town ordinance.”
“Just so you know, you could be issued a summons or you could be placed in custody and actually brought down to the police department and arrested for that, so I just want to inform you of that,” Flynn adds.
One of the protesters then says something inaudible, to which Flynn states, “You know what, you have the right to be out here to do whatever you’re doing.” The protester gestures to the volunteers and says something that sounds like, “So if they block us, we could block them?”
Flynn responds, “You know what, I believe so, yes.”
That’s when the volunteer asks Flynn to repeat what he’d just said because she didn’t hear him. He brushes off her question two times, the second time cutting her off mid-sentence as she asked, “So they’re allowed to block the entrance of people entering the clinic and I-“
Flynn interjected, “Miss, you have everything on camera and there’s a camera right there,” motioning to the street corner, which he’s said was covered by police surveillance.
Flynn repeated the town ordinance again, but when the volunteer said, “I’m trying to understand,” he cut her off again.
“Excuse me, excuse me,” Flynn said over the volunteer. “Other than that, we’ll be here all day. OK.”
Flynn can be seen turning and walking away as the volunteer repeats her request for clarification two more times, getting no response.
The video was shared online in March by the community group HPD Not Safe For Women, which formed earlier this year to protest the department’s handling of sexual harassment complaints.
Flynn did not respond to a request for comment. He told investigators that the volunteer “was already angry” when he arrived because of the hour-long response time, and that “he did not want to engage the women directly because she was already dissatisfied with his service and he didn’t see anything positive coming out of interacting with her any further.”
Flynn was issued what’s called documented counseling from the patrol captain, the first step in the department’s concept of progressive discipline. Thody also ordered that Flynn be retrained, with a specific focus on “giving people a voice,” he said.
To help address clinic disputes, Lt. Obdulio Santiago, the Southwest District Commander, put out a memo in May asking all patrol units in the area to give extra attention to the clinic.
Police are not aware of any continuing problems since increasing visibility around the clinic, Thody said Wednesday.
“It is our responsibility to foster an environment where clients can safely access the clinic, and protesters can peacefully exercise their rights,” he said. “I prefer this happens by way of open dialogue, but sometimes enforcement action is necessary.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated there was an accidental, three-month delay between The Hartford Courant requesting the internal affairs report and receiving it from Hartford police. The Courant received the report after two months, a typical response time from the department.
Rebecca Lurye can be reached at rlurye@courant.com.
