Michael Bergoine of Hawley, Pa. was on his way to work one night in 2001 when he got stopped by a cop in the Village of Kiryas Joel. The cop claimed that Bergoine had rolled through a stop sign. The village of Kiryas Joel does not employ any cops. Which is exactly why Bergoine is suing the village.
He’s claiming that the guy who stopped him, Patrick McGrath, had no business stopping him, notwithstanding that McGrath was wearing a police uniform.
It turned out that McGrath was a convicted felon and that Kiryas Joel’s chief constable at the time didn’t do any kind of background check on McGrath before approving him to “patrol” the village back in November 2001. The Chief Constable lost his job over this.
Bergoine is suing the village in state Supreme Court, claiming that the traffic stop made him late for work and cost him his job at Hackensack Medical Center in New Jersey.
The village says that McGrath was an “independent contractor.”
The aggrieved parties are all due in Judge John McGuirk’s courtroom May 31. McGrath is now in state prison, serving a term for grand larceny unrelated to KJ.
(Source: Times Herald Record)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
I think i saw that police car somewhere else
emanon – In your rear-view mirrir??? 🙂
Good Shabbos Chaverim!
Something’s wrong w this guy suing!! No one gets fired 4 coming late 2 work once
yeah sounded odd. he was prob a guy who was slacking at work and his boss used his lateness (prob. multiple) as an exuse to fire him. if he wins he wont have to work anymore. lucky break
I know Mr.McGrath several years and I am sorry to read about this incident.. Hope things get straightened out for all involved…