By Bruno Matarazzo Jr.
New Haven Registe
WATERBURY, Conn. — A former Waterbury fire lieutenant, who spent years fighting a legal battle with the city over his dismissal for using medical marijuana, mentioned Charlie Kirk and shooting political officials in Waterbury, according to prosecutors.
Thomas Eccleston was arraigned Wednesday and held on $400,000 bond. He is charged with second-degree harassment, first-degree threatening with a firearm, second-degree threatening with physical threat, first-degree harassment with physical threats and second-degree harassment, according to the clerk’s office. His next court date is Nov. 24.
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“He mentioned Charlie Kirk in shooting political officials and he is threatening political violence, which is completely unacceptable in our society,” Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildsen said.
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10 while speaking at a college in Utah.
Therkildsen said the threats were made against Mayor Paul Pernerewski, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo, other members of the police and fire departments and City Hall staff.
Eccleston was arrested in California where he now lives and extradited to Waterbury, Therkildsen said.
Pernerewski declined to comment Wednesday on Eccleston’s arrest.
It’s the second case of threats of political violence against officials this week.
On Monday, Robert A. Pabich, 43, of Rocky Hill, was arraigned on charges related to threats made against state Sen. Matthew Lesser, D- Middletown and other legislators who attended an Oct. 18 “No Kings” rally at the state Capitol.
“Take note of this picture. Everyone of these pieces of trash need bullets shot directly into their faces,” Pabich said in a comment posted on a social media page of Lesser’s, according to the police report. “Just like they did Charlie Kirk .”
Last June, a judge dismissed Eccleston’s long-running lawsuit over his 2018 dismissal for using medical marijuana for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.
Eccleston appealed the dismissal to the state Appellate Court, which is still ongoing.
The trial court’s decision said Eccelston, who previously lived in South Carolina and recently moved to California, failed to prove his claim of workplace discrimination and the evidence at trial established that he was terminated because his positive test for marijuana use violated a “last chance agreement” he signed in November 2015 to avoid termination then.
Prior to the decision being handed down, a motion for contempt was filed by the city for violating court orders that Eccleston refrain from directly communicating to current or former city employees regarding the court case and that he refrain from using profane language, ethnic slurs and threatening language.
In an unusual move, Eccleston asked to be held in contempt, saying he “will wear a contempt charge from the City of Waterbury’s courthouses (both of them) as a badge of honor,” according to Eccleston’s motion.
Judge John Cordani was inclined to hold Eccleston in contempt for his “unrepentant contemptuous behavior.”
“However, this matter has been resolved by a final judgment that was adverse to the plaintiff. Further, the court views the plaintiff as a sad person who is unjustifiably consumed with contempt for others and hateful feelings and who is unable to properly control himself,” Cordani wrote.
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