CT Fire Official on Leave Over Sexual Assault Allegations

A "high ranking" member of the Bridgeport Fire Department was placed on administrative leave after a woman reported her daughter had been sexually assaulted, city officials said Thursday.

The department member was not immediately identified. Officials said the individual was placed on administrative leave while the matter is investigted.

In a statement, the city said the woman came to the Bridgeport Fire Department Engine 6 on Central Avenue at 8:15 a.m. to report "an incident involving her daughter and a member of the Bridgeport Fire Department."

The incident was then reported to the police, who responded.

In a pre-recorded video statement posted to Facebook, Acting Fire Chief Lance Edwards said the assault was alleged to have taken place at the home of the senior fire official under investigation.

"I'm truly saddened by this news. I tried to contact the high-ranking officer and (have) been unsuccessful at this point," Edwards said, flanked in the video by Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim and Acting Chief of Police Rebeca Garcia.

Garcia said police were notified of the incident around 8 a.m.

"They have actively incorporated our detective bureau into this matter and our detective bureau is currently working on this incident," she said. "Please be advised that the Bridgeport Police Department takes these matters very seriously. We will conduct a thorough investigation and we will at the... conclusion bring justice to the victim."

Lt. Dave Dobbs, president of the Bridgeport firefighter's union, said that organization "does not want to rush to judgement," but the seriousness of the allegations demanded "a very thorough and complete investigation."

Department sources said the official in question has not been arrested and detectives are looking for him.

Ganim expressed "full confidence" in both of the chiefs.

"These matters involving any victim, but especially in this case as in other cases where you have a woman, or a woman of color who has been victimized or allegedly victimized; that we stand with you and we stand behind you to protect you as we should as a police department, as a fire department as a city administration," Ganim said.

Ganim went on to say: "This matter, as Chief Garcia said, will be investigated, the chips will fall where they may... and people will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law as the facts unravel."

Brian Lockhart and Daniel Tepfer contributed to this story

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