TRUMBULL, Conn. — A Trumbull police sergeant appeared in court Wednesday to answer to a sexual assault charge stemming from an ongoing investigation by the Shelton Police Department.
Matthew Perkowski, 33, of Shelton, turned himself in to police on Tuesday evening. He was charged with sexual assault and assault stemming from a complaint a victim filed in September 2020.
According to the arrest warrant, police were called to Griffin Hospital on Sept. 6, 2020, to investigate an assault.
The victim accused Perkowski and John Scollin, 34, also of Shelton – who she said was the father of her child – of sexually assaulting her at the same time.
"To say I'm outraged is an understatement," said Greg Cerritelli, Perkowski's lawyer, outside of Derby Superior Court after his client's arraignment. "His police powers have been suspended. There will most likely be another internal affairs investigation based on this arrest."
After Shelton Police alerted Trumbull Police of the alleged incident in the fall of 2020, Perkowski was suspended for 15 days during an internal affairs investigation, but he was reinstated.
"This is I'm sure motivated by forces greater than we could ever imagine but something's going on here and it certainly doesn't smell very good," Cerritelli added.
The arrest warrant goes on to outline the victim’s complaint.
WARNING: THE INFORMATION BELOW CONTAINS DETAILS OF A GRAPHIC NATURE.
The woman told police she and Scollin – who turned himself in to police on Wednesday – met up after she received a late-night call from him.
She said such calls to meet up and have sex were not uncommon and were always consensual. On Sept. 6, 2020, the victim said Scollin called to see if she wanted to have a threesome, which she refused.
The victim said Scollin was “beyond drunk” and his interactions while having sex in her vehicle became more and more aggressive. She told police that at one point, Scollin slapped her several times and threatened to “choke her out till she passes out.”
After they were done, the pair then traveled to Perkowski’s home – whom the victim told police she had never met before. When they arrived, the victim said Perkowski was asleep and appeared intoxicated.
According to the arrest warrant, when Perkowski was woken up, Scollin said, “See bro, I told you,” before proceeding to strip off his clothes. Perkowski also stripped off his clothes.
The victim said she was asked again to do a threesome, which she refused. However, according to the arrest warrant, her refusal did not stop the two men and she was sexually assaulted.
The victim told police that she stated “no” multiple times, but that they were “two big guys and they ignored her.”
According to the arrest warrant, when the victim and Scollin left Perkowski’s home, he took her phone and deleted all text conversations between the two.
At the time the allegations were made, the victim told police she did not want to pursue any charges against the two men for fear of retribution.
Police said DNA from the victim’s sexual assault kit indicated that multiple contributors were found in the evidentiary samples.
"It's very unusual because she is the witness in this case and I actually feel bad for her," Cerritelli said. "Generally, if the state has a reluctant witness, they do not pursue prosecution."
"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," said Scollin's attorney, Christian Young, in a statement to FOX61. "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 an arrest."
Shelton Police Chief Shawn Sequeira responded by stating, "Both arrests were within the statute of limitations and reviewed by a state's attorney and judge, who both determined probable cause existed for the arrests. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and we will respect the judicial process."
According to the warrant, it was determined that the allegations fall within family violence laws, because one of the suspects has a child with the alleged victim.
The warrant further states that in early June of 2021 both Perkowski and Scollin declined to meet with Shelton Police to discuss this case.
Trumbull police placed Perkowski on administrative leave and removed his police powers after the arrest.
“The allegations contained in the Shelton Police arrest warrant will be reviewed and investigated by the Office of Internal Affairs in Trumbull to identify any violations of the department’s Code of Conduct, and we will await the findings from the court. These accusations present a very serious personnel matter that will be handled appropriately,” Trumbull Police Chief Michael Lombardo said in a statement.
Scollin was charged Wednesday with sexual assault. He was released on a $150,000 bond and will appear in court on Thursday. According to Perkowski’s arrest warrant, Scollin was a member of the Shelton Fire Department.
Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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