Official files election complaint against Bridgeport cop

A Bridgeport police captain is accused of attempting to intimidate a Democratic official into changing his vote in the mayoral nomination race. Benji Labrador, a member of the Bridgeport Democratic

News 12 Staff

Aug 22, 2015, 1:52 AM

Updated 3,410 days ago

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A Bridgeport police captain is accused of attempting to intimidate a Democratic official into changing his vote in the mayoral nomination race.
Benji Labrador, a member of the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee, says Capt. A.J. Perez arrived at his home the night before the committee was to nominate a candidate for mayor.
Labrador says Perez, who is the commander of the city's detective bureau, was wearing a gun holstered in plain sight but was not wearing a uniform.
"Perez proceeded to harass me with regard to my vote...because I was supporting Mayor Bill Finch over Joe Ganim," Labrador says. "When I refused to change my vote, Detective Perez became red in the face with anger."
Perez says he and three others went to Labrador's home because they were worried about him.
Perez says he received a text in which Labrador allegedly said he "still loved Joe Ganim," but was forced to change his vote by his wife.
Perez denies having raised his voice or pointed his finger.
"I have been here for 33 years, and I have never had anyone make such complaints or allegations against me," Perez says.