Hinsdale to Hold Public Session on Police Department Review
HINSDALE, Mass. — The Hinsdale Police Department will hold an information session about its policies, procedures, and operations following the fatal police shooting of 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis in January.
District Attorney Timothy Shugrue cleared Hinsdale Officer Jeffrey Spratt of criminal charges, deeming the shooting a lawful and necessary use of force to prevent an imminent, serious, or deadly harm to himself or another.
However, while non-criminal, Shugrue said the investigation revealed concerns surrounding the Hinsdale Police Department. He urged for a formal review of its internal policies and applications to the Jan. 7 events.
During a special town meeting in March, Hinsdale voters approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the Police Department.
"While the review will address the Jan. 7 incident, it will also focus comprehensively on all department policies, procedures, training, and improvement recommendations," Hinsdale Town Administrator Robert Graves said.
Since hiring Daigle Law Group to conduct an independent review of the department’s policies, procedures, operations, and organizational practices, the town is now giving residents an opportunity to ask questions about the evaluation at a community information session tomorrow.
During the session tomorrow, Tuesday, June 30, at 6:30 p.m., Eric Diagle, Daigle Law Group principal attorney, will give an overview of the assessment and respond to questions from attendees.
Shugrue was not the only one to criticize the department’s policies, with the Dalton Police Department deciding to suspend its mutual aid services in April.
Police Chief Deanna Strout said in a correspondence to Hinsdale that the decision was not made lightly and comes following "recent events, combined with ongoing concerns" that have "raised serious issues regarding operational trust, accountability, and officer safety."
All municipalities in Berkshire County, including Hinsdale, have signed the county-wide mutual aid agreement.
"These issues present a risk not only to the public but also to officers responding in a mutual aid capacity," Strout said in the correspondence.
Until Hinsdale addresses these concerns in a meaningful and verifiable way, the Dalton Police Department is suspending routine mutual aid responses to Hinsdale, she said.
"I remain open to future dialogue should the Town of Hinsdale wish to take steps to restore confidence and rebuild a professional working relationship," Strout said.
In response to the Dalton Police Department's decision, acting Hinsdale Police Chief Bruce Cullet has revised the department's standard operating procedure to include the Becket Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police as the primary agencies for mutual aid requests, Graves said.
"We appreciate and will honor our commitment to mutual aid for the common good…Hinsdale is also grateful to the Peru Select Board and Chief Cullett, who is serving as Chief for both Towns via a mutual aid agreement with Peru following the Jan. 7 incident," he said.
Strout claimed there were previously "observed concerns related to training consistency and supervisory oversight during joint responses," which came to a head following the Jan. 7 officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of Biagio Kauvil during a wellness check.
Graves' response to Strout said that while Hinsdale and Dalton "may have differences in perspective, priorities, or interpretation, it remains important that neighboring towns work collaboratively, professionally, and in good faith toward our shared goal of serving our residents and the greater community.
"We are open to having a constructive dialogue at some future date, perhaps over the summer."
During the District Attorney’s investigation, Boyne, who was on scene, made statements "that attributed responsibility [for the Jan. 7 shooting] to Dalton officers," she said.
Interviews also revealed differing accounts of the nearly hour-long response that was initially de-escalated before tensions rose again. Boyne claimed the re-escalation led him and Dalton Officer Chelsea Eichstedt to decide it was time to move in, though he could not recall who made the call.
Eichstedt gave a sharply different account, describing a disorganized response and saying she would not have entered the room under Dalton protocols.
"Effective mutual aid requires a foundation of professionalism, accountability, and trust between agencies. At this time, that foundation has been significantly compromised," Strout said in the notice to Hinsdale.
Graves said that while the town acknowledges Strout’s decision, they disagree with the rationale justifying it.
"The events of January 7 were traumatic for everyone involved, including the officers who placed themselves in harm's way," Graves said in an email to iBerkshires.
"Any fair review of those events should recognize the difficult and split-second decisions made under extreme circumstances, rather than using hindsight and ambiguity to cast blame on officers and agencies that responded in good faith to protect lives and public safety."
"It is deeply concerning that conclusions about officer and public safety are being drawn from selective interpretations of statements made in the aftermath of an extraordinarily complicated and tragic incident in which officers—including Dalton officers—found themselves confronted by an armed individual firing a gun during a rapidly evolving mental health crisis," he said.
iBerkshires.com reached out to Strout for comment, but at the time of publication, had not heard back.
While the Dalton Police Department has body cameras, the Hinsdale department does not, despite receiving a grant for some.
