A Trumbull police sergeant and a Shelton firefighter have been arrested for sexual assault, according to authorities.
A Trumbull police sergeant and a Shelton firefighter have been arrested and charged with sexual assault, according to authorities.
The charges stem from a 2020 investigation. On Wednesday, Trumbull police officer Matthew Perkowski made his first appearance in front of a judge in a Derby courtroom.
The 33-year-old Shelton man is charged with sexual assault in the first and second degree for the alleged incident on the early morning hours of Sept. 6, 2020. He is currently on leave.
NBC Connecticut spoke to his lawyer outside of court after the short hearing Wednesday.
“First, Matt Perkowski was not the only person present there and secondly, people have their own desires and this may have been a very consensual act between these people,” said lawyer Gregory Cerritelli.
On Friday, firefighter John Scollin was arrested and charged with sexual assault in the first degree.
In Perkowski's arrest warrant released Wednesday, the alleged victim describes having consensual sex with Scollin, a man she knows, in the parking lot of Shelton’s Echo Hose Fire House.
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She said he was very drunk, and the sex eventually became violent.
She told police she “said multiple times to stop but he refused and he forced her to continue," according to the arrest warrant.
She said the pair later went to Perkowski’s home where she said he too was drunk. According to the alleged victim, the men are friends, the warrant states.
Perkowski’s lawyer confirms he works for the city’s volunteer department, too.
Scollin is listed on the website as a captain and the alleged victim describes him getting suspended from the department during this investigation.
While at Perkowski’s home, the alleged victim told police she was forced into sexual acts with both men and Perkowski “smacked her so hard that she fell off him and she could not hear out of her left ear and she could not talk," according to the warrant.
Police said Griffin Hospital reports confirm she was covered with bruises and had a ruptured eardrum.
She told police, "she said 'no' multiple times during the sex but they were two big guys and they ignored her and made her do things."
She said the majority of the injuries came from Scollin inside her car outside the firehouse, with the exception of Perkowski hitting her at his home.
Scollin is expected in court Thursday.
His lawyer Christian Young said in a statement: "This is a matter that had, years ago, been thoroughly reviewed by investigating and prosecuting authorities who determined there was no reason to criminally charge or arrest anyone. Yet Shelton then chose to improperly release the confidential investigative materials causing harm to the individuals. We look forward to learning more about how and why this previously reviewed matter has years later resulted in arrests."
NBC Connecticut reached out to Shelton’s mayor and director of public safety and emergency management multiple times for comment and has not heard back.
After the court appearance Wednesday, Perkowski’s lawyer said he’s outraged this case has gone this far, as the alleged victim did not want to press charges.
“He’s been a member of the Trumbull Police Department for over 10 years. He’s a very decorated officer. He’s a sergeant. He’s very well respected. He’s loved by coworkers. My heart breaks for him and his family quite honestly,” Cerritelli said.
According to the arrest warrant, the alleged victim went back and forth debating whether to press charges against the men in 2020, eventually deciding not to. She didn’t want to report for fear of retaliation.
It goes on to say that last year, the case moved forward because the detective "met with supervisors at the Shelton Police Department and it was determined that the allegations fell within family violence laws."
The Office of the State’s Attorney Ansonia-Milford Judicial District had no comment.
Trumbull’s First Selectman Vicki Tesoro sent this statement to NBC Connecticut about Perkowski's arrest, as he's a sergeant in her town:
“I was made aware of the arrest of Sergeant Perkowski. The charges against him are extremely serious and will be fully investigated. I have full confidence in Chief Lombardo and support his prompt action in putting Sergeant Perkowski on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. I will withhold any judgement and forgo any comment until the investigation is complete and the facts are in."
