Brookfield cop suspended after bar fight

BROOKFIELD -- A police spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that a Brookfield officer has been suspended because of a fight at a Federal Road sports bar last week.

Major Jay Purcell said the department is conducting an internal affairs and a criminal investigation into the incident, which occurred at the 189 Sports Cafe late Thursday. Purcell declined to identify the suspended officer, citing the ongoing investigations, or to provide any details about the altercation, which one source said involved a second Brookfield officer.

"There was an incident at 189, and there is an officer on administrative leave," Purcell said.

He would not say whether a second police officer was involved.

"That's what the investigation is trying to determine," Purcell said.

John Conway, an employee of the bar at 189 Federal Road, said the fight was broken up very quickly and he wasn't in a position to see who was involved or how it started.

"There was a big scuffle and then it was over," Conway said.

Police were called, but Conway said he left the bar before they arrived. Purcell said a number of people believed to have witnessed the altercation also left 189 Sports Cafe before police got there.

Members of the Police Commission who were aware of the fight and the investigation declined to discuss it, referring all comments to Chief Robin Montgomery.

jpirro@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342