By Justin Muszynski
Hartford Courant
HARTFORD, Conn. — A police officer in Norwich has been arrested and accused of fraudulently receiving workers’ compensation benefits after authorities learned that he took the physical agility exam to join another department.
Officer Ryan Dunn, 28, of Norwich turned himself in on Tuesday at the Rocky Hill Police Department where inspectors from the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney held a warrant for his arrest, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice. He faces charges of second-degree larceny by defrauding a public community and fraudulent claim or receipt of benefits.
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According to the DCJ, Dunn reported suffering a knee injury while attempting to push his patrol vehicle out of the snow in February. He was placed on temporary partial disability and began receiving wage replacement payments from the Norwich.
While still collecting benefits in March, authorities said they found that Dunn allegedly received medical clearance from another doctor who found that he was physically capable, “with no restrictions,” to participate in a Police Officer Standards and Training physical agility exam.
Dunn then took the physical exam, which was part of the hiring process for another police department, and passed it while still collecting workers’ compensation benefits, officials said. The agility exam included a 300-meter sprint, a 1.5 mile run, sit-ups and push-ups.
Capt. Kyle Besse of the Norwich Police Department issued a statement following Dunn’s arrest, saying he was placed on paid administrative leave on Aug. 20 when the department learned of the warrant for his arrest.
“The criminal case is being handled independently of the Norwich Police Department ,” Besse said. “Consistent with department policy and applicable collective bargaining requirements, the Norwich Police Department will also conduct its own administrative review of the matter.”
“The department recognizes the importance of maintaining public confidence and takes allegations involving any member of the Norwich Police Department seriously,” Besse said. “At the same time, Officer Dunn is entitled to the same due process afforded to any person facing criminal charges.”
Besse said the department would not be commenting further.
Dunn is free on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Norwich on Sept. 2 . Online court records do not show that Dunn is represented by an attorney.
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