Justin LoSchiavo, a Stratford police officer who was fired in 2010 for withholding information about his medical history after he crashed a police cruiser while having a seizure, was arrested on minor charges earlier this month by New Haven police.
LoSchiavo, 34, was charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct outside Stella Blues bar on Crown Street about 1:43 a.m. July 15, according to police.
LoSchiavo’s hiring by former Stratford Mayor James Miron in 2006 has long been an issue of controversy.
Six months before he was hired as a patrol officer, he was rejected as a police officer candidate because of “medical” reasons and admissions he stole town property, smoked marijuana, abused sick days, failed to report “under the table” income to the IRS and was unable to provide an up-to-date driver’s license during interviews in Stratford and at least one other police department.
A doctor, police detective and the town’s then-chief administrative officer at the time advised against his hiring because of his long-standing seizure disorder.
Despite these concerns, the Miron administration hired LoSchiavo, son of former Deputy Police Chief Joseph LoSchiavo and former Human Resources Assistant Linda LoSchiavo, and brother of Stratford Police Officer Joe LoSchiavo Jr., under the condition that he would be terminated if he suffered a seizure during the 15-month probationary period.
After successfully completing his probationary period, LoSchiavo became a regular officer.
Then, on June 6, 2009, LoSchiavo lost consciousness while in the throes of a seizure at the wheel of a police cruiser and crashed into four cars, causing $25,000 in damage.
No one was injured in the collision.
After an independent medical examination, LoSchiavo was cleared to return to regular duty. Three months later, he was terminated after town officials found he had lied during the independent medical examination.
LoSchiavo failed to inform doctors he had suffered at least three seizures since 2004 and that he had been abusing alcohol, according to findings by town officials. Alcohol is known to trigger seizures.
A state Superior court judge last October ordered the Town of Stratford to reinstate LoSchiavo to his job as a patrol officer. The town is currently appealing that decision to the state Appellate court.
