Report On Windsor Locks Police Officials' Actions After Fatal Accident Due by April

The report from an independent investigation of the Windsor Locks Police Department’s actions after a fatal October accident involving a former officer should be complete by next month, the town’s labor attorney said.

Kevin Deneen told the Windsor Locks Police Commission Wednesday that he spoke to Frank Rudewicz, the independent investigator, about where the investigation stood. Deneen said Rudewicz told him he’d completed the majority of the interviews and that he had a few more to do.

“My expectation is that relatively shortly we’ll have this wrapped up,” Deneen said. "No later than April."

When asked Wednesday by resident William Rousseau if the report would be made available to the public, Commission Chairman Neal Cunningham said the commission has said from the beginning that it would be.

Former Windsor Locks police officer Michael Koistinen, 24, of Suffield, is charged with first-degree manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter, negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, misconduct with a motor vehicle, and attempt to tamper with evidence. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Nov. 23 in Hartford Superior Court.

Fifteen-year-old Henry Dang was killed when he was hit by a car driven by Michael Koistinen, then an off-duty Windsor Locks police officer, who state police allege was drinking for several hours before the accident.

Robert Koistinen is a Windsor Locks police sergeant and has been on administrative leave with pay since the accident, his annual salary is $73,385. He pleaded not guilty in January to charges he interfered with the investigation of  the Oct. 29 fatal accident in which his son was involved.

The Windsor Locks Police Commission fired Michael Koistinen, a probationary officer, on Dec. 8. At the same meeting, the commission approved hiring an attorney to investigate how the policies, procedures and protocol of the department and the town were followed after the accident.

Residents on Jan. 4 approved the town spending up to $30,000 on an independent investigation of police officials actions after the accident. Town officials said the independent investigation is civil in nature and will have more leeway to interview and perhaps punish people than a criminal investigation.