Lawyers Mysteriously Drop Case of Man Accusing Suffolk Police Chief of Abuse
There’s an FBI probe looking into a case involving allegations of abuse by a Long Island Police Chief which took place in the early morning hours of December 14 last year. That night Suffolk Police Chief James Burke went to Chris Loeb's Smithtown home to place him under arrest.
Loeb was accused of breaking into and stealing from dozens of cars in St. James. One of those cars was Chief Burke's unmarked, police issued SUV. What he stole was a duffel bag filled with the chief's gun belt, ammo, handcuffs, and an unknown item which was important enough for Chief Burke to show up at Loeb's house and confront the 26-year-old himself.
In an interview with PIX11, retired NYPD Sergeant Wally Zeins says, “The first thing you want to know is what are those other items? Could they endanger the safety of other people?”
Loeb told his mother that the Chief beat him in his own home once he was cuffed and put under arrest. The beating didn't end at the Loeb residence though. It continued well into the morning at the Fourth Precinct. At one point, Burke told all the officers in a room to clear out so he could be alone with Loeb. Chief Burke has denied these accusations on the grounds that it would be inappropriate for him to make an official statement since he's the victim of a crime in an ongoing investigation.
Loeb will provide testimony against the Police Chief and the other officers involved in the arrest at his Smithtown home. The case could see evidence tampering if Burke took back his stolen gun and the mystery item in the Chief's unmarked car is revealed.
Since pressing charges and agreeing to to testify against Suffolk County police, two of Loeb's lawyers have suddenly dropped the case. The 26-year-old's first lawyer removed himself from the case saying there was a conflict of interest. His second lawyer left the case within an hour.
[Source: PIX11]