Ex-Connecticut Police Officer Suspected of Robbery in 3 States
Ex-Connecticut Police Officer is under suspicion for being a serial thief, allegedly carrying out more than 30 robberies in three different states, throwing the communities he once protected into turmoil.
A recent warrant has indicated that Patrick Hemingway, previously of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, targeted secure and cash-heavy registers in restaurants and businesses. Several news reports have quoted that surveillance videos show a figure resembling the former officer, holding a flashlight in a skillful manner.
Hemingway, aged 37, was previously accused of computer crimes and providing false statements last month. During his sentencing, a judge declared the possibility of additional charges against him.
In one of the surveillance videos, a tall man with a mask, gloves, and a hoodie is seen holding a “knobbed, rod-like object” similar to the portable police radio used by the Glastonbury Police Department. According to the warrant, some of the thefts involved the use of “lock-picking tools.” It was stated in the warrant that Hemingway left a bag upon his resignation from the Glastonbury Police Department on September 1st, containing a lock-picking tool kit. The warrant also mentioned data from his cell phone and pictures of a car owned by his wife being linked to multiple break-ins.
Despite the brazen nature of the thefts, Hemingway has been held on a $1 million bond, which his lawyer argues is excessively high. “I have seen murder cases where the bond isn’t this high,” said James E. Sulik. “I want to reserve comment until I have had the opportunity to review the evidence with my client, and I have not yet been able to do that.”
Hemingway was initially apprehended at an airport in New Jersey on September 22nd as he was reportedly studying to become a commercial pilot. He was extradited to Connecticut. While the warrant for computer crimes was signed when he was in New Jersey, the allegation arose that he had misused police databases 80 times. As per the warrant, Sulik had asked 28 questions about his own car on February 26, 2019, and 19 questions about his wife’s car from April 11, 2022, to August 23, as well as other inquiries.
“The sheer frequency of this type of information with Patrick may be a probable explanation that he was under police investigation,” said the warrant.
Last month, the Glastonbury Police Department issued a press release cautioning about their suspicion that a former officer had been interested in recent thefts and had been in contact with the Major Crimes Unit of the Connecticut State Police, as the investigation was linked with multiple jurisdictions. The name of the officer was not disclosed, and the department stated that it would not comment further.
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