East Hampton NY May 5 2013 Harry Dalian visited the John M. Marshall Elementary School on Thursday out of concern for the safety of his daughter and other students, according to his attorney Edward Burke Jr.
Police allege Dalian, 36, improperly identified himself as a New York City police officer and showed his badge and an ID that he reported stolen when he left the job in 2006.
However, Burke said his client was concerned about an open or unlocked door that was discovered at the elementary school during school hours and recent studies on school safety.
Dalian was arraigned before East Hampton Town Justice Catherine A. Cahill on two misdemeanor charges of second-degree criminal impersonation and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property on Friday afternoon and released on his own recognizance.
Burke said after Dalian had misplaced his badge and was issued another when he was working as a police officer between 2004 and 2006, and then found the lost one.
Dalian, who owns SPC Inc., a computer consulting business, has lived at his current address with his wife for the past six years, Burke told the judge.
After he was released, he hugged his 2-year-old son and his wife, who were seated in the courtroom along with his mother. They were relieved Dalian was coming home that night.
Dalian was arrested on Friday morning. Police found a loaded 9mm hand gun on him at the time. He has a permit for nine hand guns, all of which are properly registered. They have been confiscated due to the pending charges.
Burke said Dalian has cooperated fully with police, and has no prior involvement with this side of the criminal justice system.
He is due back in court on June 13.
Previously, 3:30 p.m.: A former police officer living in East Hampton was arrested Friday morning and charged with criminally impersonating a police officer after a suspicious visit to the John M. Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton Village one day earlier.
At the time of his arrest, the 36-year-old was armed with a fully loaded 9mm hand gun, legal under the permit he holds, according to police.
Sergeant Gregory J. Brown was showing Detective Steven B. Sheades, who is the new school resource officer, a position added earlier this year at the request of the PTA — when Dalian introduced himself to them as a New York City police officer. He had just met with the principal regarding "security concerns" he had, according to Chief Jerry Larsen.
Something about the encounter didn't sit right with the officers, Larsen said.
Sheades investigated further and found that Dalian served as a New York City Police Department from 2004 to 2006, but quit for personal reasons, police said.
The badge and ID that he had shown the officers at the school were items he had reported stolen or lost in 2006, according to Larsen. They have been recovered.
Police arrested him on Friday, charging him with second-degree criminal impersonation and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. He will be arraigned at East Hampton Town Justice Court Friday afternoon.
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department has since suspended Dalian's gun permit and confiscated nine handguns — all of which he was legally allowed to possess under his permit.
The school has banned him from the property, according to the chief.
source- East Hampton Patch