Wednesday was the seventh day of the civil trial brought by the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Darryl Mount Jr. against the city of Saratoga Springs. Mount died of his injuries nine months after a police foot chase on August 31, 2013.
The first witness called to the stand today was Kevin Connolly, a private investigator and retired Albany Police Detective Lieutenant.
Connolly was questioned by an attorney for the Mount family about how internal affairs investigations are initiated after complaints are made against police officers.
No internal affairs investigation was conducted after Mount’s injury despite allegations of police brutality from his family. Police say Mount was injured when he fell from a construction scaffold.
Connolly, who oversaw such investigations for a year in the Albany Police Department, testified that a department’s failure to follow up on IA investigations can contribute to a “culture of a lack of accountability towards police officers among men and women of the department.”
Plaintiff attorneys have cast the SSPD as fostering a “culture of corruption.”
Questioned by the defense, Connolly acknowledged that officers facing misconduct allegations in Saratoga Springs were disciplined, and ultimately resigned.
Connolly also acknowledged prior police policy in Saratoga Springs did not stipulate that IA investigations be continued or conducted after an officer resigns.
The police department has maintained that its response to the Mount incident was thoroughly investigated and that there was no intent to cover up details of how police interacted with Mount.
