Norwalk police officer arrested after road rage incident retires: PD

NORWALK, CT — A Norwalk police officer who was charged with a driving aggression incident near Trumbull earlier this year retired this week after an internal investigation found he violated several departmental codes of conduct, police said.

In a statement sent to the media, Police Chief James Walsh said Officer David Vetare, 54, was arrested by the Connecticut State Police on charges of reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle with intent to harass or intimidate, second-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree disturbing the public peace.

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According to Walsh, after Vetare’s arrest, police conducted an internal investigation to determine whether he had violated department policies.

The investigation found that Vetare had violated several rules of conduct in the Norwalk Police Manual, and Vetare left the force on Tuesday, Walsh said.

“As I have said before, these actions are not representative of our department as a whole and do not reflect the men and women of the Norwalk Police Department who serve our citizens,” Walsh said. “I understand that these events have shaken the trust in our department that we have worked so hard to build in the past. I assure the residents of Norwalk that I am committed to transparency, officer accountability and maintaining the highest standards of integrity.”

According to a State Police incident report, Troopers with Troop G received a report around noon on March 9 from a woman who stated her vehicle was struck by an object during a driving aggression incident on Route 15 North between exits 44 and 49.

According to state police, the woman told troopers that the driver of a tan GMC Yukon with a Connecticut license plate threw an object at her car and followed her in an attempt to force her off the road.

Troopers later located the vehicle and the driver was identified as Vetare, who admitted his involvement in the incident, state police said.

At the time of his arrest, Vetare was the third Norwalk police officer to be charged in less than a month. In response, Walsh promised the department “transparency and accountability.”

In a statement released at the time of Vetare’s arrest, Walsh reassured Norwalk residents and stressed that their safety and trust remain the department’s top priority.

“While recent events may create uncertainty, I want to emphasize that these actions do not define our department as a whole,” Walsh said. “We are committed to transparency, accountability and maintaining the highest standards of integrity.”