[ME] Officer Regan finally fired May 12th. Pleading not guilty to discharging a gun in the house?

Officer pleads not guilty
Reporter-American Journal
By Leslie Bridgers
June 12th, 2008

WESTBROOK (June 12, 2008): The Portland police officer who was indicted for assaulting his wife in Westbrook pleaded not guilty at a hearing at Cumberland County Superior Court Tuesday.

Brian Regan, 39, was indicted in May on charges of reckless conduct with a weapon and criminal threatening with a weapon, both Class C crimes, as well as criminal threatening, assault and two counts of domestic violence assault, all Class D crimes.

Regan was arrested near his house in Westbrook March 18 after his wife called the Portland police seeking assistance with a domestic violence incident, according to Westbrook police Chief Bill Baker.

However, according to Regan's lawyer, Michael Cunniff, the wrong person was arrested. Cunniff said he intends to prove that Regan's wife, Heidi Regan, is the abusive partner in their relationship.

In the defense's motion for discovery of the grand jury transcript, which was granted Tuesday, Cunniff claims the police report shows that Heidi Regan admitted to falsifying evidence from the March 18 incident. The police report has not been released by the police or district attorney's office.

“We're very confident in our defense,” Cunniff said Monday.

Anne Berlind, domestic violence prosecutor in the Cumberland County district attorney's office, could not be reached for comment by American Journal deadline.

Regan could face five years in prison for each Class C offense, and one year for each Class D offense.

At the time of his arrest, Regan was ordered to relinquish his police identification and weapon. Regan, who was been employed by the Portland Police Department for 14 years, was fired on May 12 because of the department's internal affairs investigation, and he is appleaing that decision. Cunniff said he is not handling Regan's appeal, but an attorney from the Maine Association of Police will be instead.

In 2002, Regan was indicted for police brutality and suspended from the department for six months, but was acquitted after a criminal trial.

Based in Westbrook, Reporter-American Journal Leslie Bridgers can be reached at 207-854-2577 or by e-mail at lbridgers@keepmecurrent.com.


FROM PREVIOUS ENTRIES:

• [ME] Officer Regan charged for injuring wife & firing weapon in their home - ...REGAN IS ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING HIS WIFE LATE MONDAY NIGHT, RESULTING IN INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION... [FACING] CHARGES HE ASSAULTED HIS WIFE AND DISCHARGED A GUN IN THEIR HOUSE...

• [ME] Demoted-from-detective Officer Regan feels justified for firing gun, assaulting Heidi - WHILE POLICE, COURT SYSTEM, AND THE MEDIA ARE AGAIN CIRCLING AROUND REGAN AS THE STAR OF HIS SHOW - HIS CAREER, HIS CHARGES, & THE OUTLOOK FOR HIS FUTURE, WHO IS ATTENDING TO AND ENCIRCLING HEIDI?... HOW FAR INTO THIS DO WE GO BEFORE THE VICTIM'S SAFETY IS AN ISSUE? BACK IN 2002 OTHER OFFICERS REPORTED THAT REGAN BEAT A HANDCUFFED MAN, AND HE TOLD THE NOW HALF-BLINDED, NOW HALF TOOTHLESS, RAW-MEAT-EXPOSED MAN, "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS OR NEXT TIME IT WILL BE WORSE,". DETECTIVE BRIAN REGAN WAS ACQUITTED, THEN DEMOTED. WHAT WOULD THAT SIGNIFY TO YOU IF YOU WERE HIS WIFE? SEE COMMENTS SECTION FOR EXCERPTS FROM REGAN'S VIOLENT HISTORY AND THE MINOR RESPONSE TO IT. I BELIEVE IT DIRECTLY IMPLICATES THE CHIEF AS PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR REGAN'S INFLATED IDEA OF WHAT HE CAN DO AND GET AWAY WITH.