A former East Haven police officer was sentenced on Tuesday to two and a half years in prison for multiple civil rights violations. David Cari was found guilty in October of conspiring to violate and violating the civil rights of members of the East Haven community, particularly Latinos.
Cari is one of four East Haven officers who were arrested following a federal racial profiling investigation that detailed a deeply rooted pattern of discriminatory policing in the town, including harassment and intimidation, and unlawful arrests and searches.
Cari was also convicted of arresting on false pretenses a Catholic priest who is an advocate for Latinos. He later falsified a report about the arrest.
The sentencing of another officer, Dennis Spaulding, was postponed until Thursday because of snow. Former East Haven officer Jason Zullo has begun serving a two-year sentence in West Virginia. Former Sergeant John Miller will be sentenced in February.
