James Hinkle Wiki, Biography
On Wednesday, January 11, the Waterbury Police Department released footage of Connecticut Police Officer James Hinkle berating a driver during a routine traffic stop. The incident, which took place on Tuesday, December 13, resulted in Hinkle being fired from the department.
In footage of the incident, James Hinkle can be seen banging on the window of a passing SUV and ordering it to stop.
Hinkle yells in the video:
“Stop, damn it! I’m not repeating myself.”
James Hinkle later accused the woman of trying to run him over, despite video appearing to show him approaching the car.
After stopping the woman, he can be heard yelling:
“What is such an important factor that me standing in the middle of the street stops you and you try to run me over?”
Waterbury authorities have condemned Finkle’s actions.
Factors leading to the firing of James Hinkle
In the footage, James Hinkle can be seen yelling at the driver of the SUV for an extended period of time. Hinkle’s superiors accused him of trying to abuse his authority as a police officer to scare the woman.
At one point, he claimed that he had a chance to arrest her. Hinkle said:
“You’re lucky you’re not handcuffed right now.”
He continued:
“Explain to my kids why they don’t have a dad a week before Christmas because you’re trying to run someone over. You see the bright lights flashing in the middle of the street, that means be careful, there is a policeman out there. I have kids at home and you almost ran me over a week before Christmas.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo condemned Hinkle’s interaction with the driver as “unacceptable.” He said,
“His conduct by him during this encounter with a citizen of the community is unacceptable and does not represent the men and women who serve with the Waterbury Police Department. WPD officers are trained to demonstrate the highest level of professionalism in the performance of their duties.”
He added that Hinkle’s interaction with the civilian marked one of the most disturbing incidents he has seen in his three decades on the force.
Spagnolo said:
“I have not seen a case in my 30 years here that has undermined public confidence more than this. It really moves you to the core.”
The New York Post reported that James Hinkle’s termination is currently under review by the Waterbury Police Union.
In an official statement, the union said:
“The Waterbury Police Union is aware that Officer Hinkle was terminated on 01/09/2023 and is currently reviewing the internal affairs report and videos regarding the incident with our legal counsel. The union will ensure Officer Hinkle is afforded all due process rights in the collective bargaining agreement.”
The confrontation between Hinkle and the woman was reviewed and investigated by Internal Affairs.
