NORWALK, Conn. — Longtime Norwalk Police Officer Hector Delgado has retired after an internal investigation by the department determined he violated multiple sections of the Norwalk Police Manual.
Delgado, Norwalk’s former Officer of the Year, was arrested multiple times in 2024. According to a release from Norwalk police on Wednesday, he violated sections of the Norwalk Police Manual pertaining to conformance to laws, unbecoming conduct and truthfulness.
“This finding concludes a thorough investigation into conduct that does not align with the values and standards we uphold as a police force,” Norwalk Police Chief James Walsh stated in the release.
Walsh said his greatest responsibility is to ensure that the actions of the city’s officers reflect the integrity, professionalism and commitment to public safety that the community expects and deserves.
“When an officer fails to meet these expectations, it is essential that we take appropriate action to maintain the trust you have placed in us,” Walsh said. “These actions do not define our department as a whole and do not reflect on the men and women of the Norwalk Police Department, who serve our citizens who bravely and professionally serve our community with the utmost integrity.”
Delgado's latest arrest came on June 7. At the time, Walsh said in a release that he received a complaint from a citizen reporting an off-duty disturbance regarding Delgado. The Norwalk Police Detective Bureau initiated a criminal investigation based off the information they received.
As a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Delgado, charging him with first-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace and following too closely with a motor vehicle. Walsh immediately placed Delgado on administrative leave and suspended his policing powers.
Delgado was also arrested in February by the Bridgeport Police Department and charged with third-degree stalking and second-degree harassment in connection with a family violence incident. The charges were later dropped.
According to the Norwalk Hour, Delgado was arrested on several occasions during his career in law enforcement. The publication reports that in 2019, he was accused of drunk driving and crashing on Interstate 95 in Fairfield.
Delgado was reportedly found to have a blood-alcohol content of .2034, or more than twice the legal limit, the Norwalk Hour said. He was granted two pretrial probation programs and accelerated rehabilitation, according to the article. A judge also dismissed a charge of illegally carrying a gun while under the influence.
The article said that there have been at least nine substantiated allegations made against Delgado since 2003. During that year, he was reportedly suspended five days for violating and failing to follow departmental rules.
He was suspended for five days in 2011 for the same offense and was suspended 10 days in 2012 for unbecoming conduct, the article said.
The Norwalk Hour also reports that in 2015, former Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik ordered Delgado to undergo counseling because of insubordination and neglecting duty.
The article goes on to note that in 1996, Delgado received a 500-day suspension after being charged with third-degree sexual assault and unlawful restraint after a 28-year-old woman accused him of groping her during a traffic stop in Norwalk. The jury did not find her credible, and Delgado was acquitted.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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