Mike on Crime

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — An assistant police chief in Connecticut has been relieved of his duties after he threatened to arrest a newspaper reporter.

The reporter had written about a detective who complained that Assistant Chief Peter Reichard had physically threatened him.

Reichard retired from the New Haven Police Department this week, three days after the chief ordered him to hand over his gun and badge.

The controversy began in September, when New Haven Register reporter William Kaempffer wrote an article about a complaint filed by the detective.

Two days later, Reichard sent an e-mail threatening to arrest Kaempffer if the reporter ever contacted him again.

Reichard did not immediately return calls for comment.

AP-ES-02-06-10 1124EST