Police chief accused of domestic violence case transferred to Middletown

NEW LONDON – The East Lyme police chief accused of domestic violence must now appear in court in Middletown.

On Tuesday, attorney John J. Nazzaro successfully asked the court to move Police Chief Michael Finkelstein’s pretrial hearings from New London to Middletown.

Finklestein, who did not appear in court, was in a “residential” care facility, according to documents Nazzaro provided to the court. He is scheduled to appear in court again on June 24.

Nazzaro did not respond to a request for comment after the hearing.

Finklestein was charged with two misdemeanors, second-degree disturbing the peace and breach of the peace, and a restraining order was issued against him after East Lyme police responded to a call from his wife on the morning of June 4.

According to an affidavit filed with the court, Finkelstein’s wife told officers at the scene that Finkelstein consumed alcoholic beverages and “punched her in the face” after she refused to give her back his work cellphone. She told officers he then threw the phone at her.

In later written statements to the Connecticut State Police, Finklestein and his wife both stated that the injuries were accidental during the struggle over his phone, but their accounts of the events contradicted each other.

Finklestein wrote that his wife was injured, but his wife herself stated that he hit her during the argument.

In his affidavit, State Police Detective Patrick O’Brien concluded that the injury to the victim’s nose “made no sense” with Finklestein’s story.

According to East Lyme First Selectman Dan Cunningham, Finklestein is on paid administrative leave.

Lt. Michael Macek is currently the interim chief of police in East Lyme.