Committees back $650,000 settlement offer for former Nassau officer
Former Nassau police Officer Dolores Sharpe filed a federal lawsuit alleging two male colleagues falsely arrested her. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Nassau legislative committees on Monday approved a $650,000 settlement offer to a former county police officer who said two male colleagues falsely arrested her in 2013 in a store parking lot while she was there to shop on Black Friday.
Four Republican legislators voted for the settlement offer, while three Democratic lawmakers abstained.
Frederick Brewington, the attorney for former Officer Dolores Sharpe, told Newsday on Monday he would wait to review any documents the county provides before commenting on the settlement offer.
"I've not been consulted by the defendants in this case concerning what they're doing," Brewington said.
Sharpe, a 20-year police department veteran, filed a $24 million federal lawsuit against Nassau County and the police department in 2015.
She also named Officers Charles Volpe and Victor Gladitz and then-police Commissioner Thomas Dale as defendants.
The lawsuit alleged malicious prosecution, false arrest, abuse of process and other violations of Sharpe's civil rights.
Sharpe, who is Black, said the officers, who are white, lied about the circumstances of her arrest and used force against her.
Brewington had said the police department treated Sharpe differently than it would have a white officer involved in an off-duty dispute, and court papers said her arrest and treatment were "due to her color and race."
In 2015, a jury acquitted Sharpe on charges of resisting arrest and harassment.
She decided to retire after the police department brought internal charges against her despite the acquittal, she said.
Also Monday, the full County Legislature unanimously approved the following appointees of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman to District Court:
- Assemb. Michael Montesano (R-Glen Head).
- Hempstead Town Attorney Joseph Nocella.
- Marie F. McCormack, a court attorney at the county Family Court & Matrimonial Center.
- Jaclene Agazarian, a principal law clerk in state Supreme Court in Nassau and the wife of James Scheuerman, the Democratic Nassau County elections commissioner. Scheuerman also serves as executive director of the Nassau County Democratic Party.
The terms of all the District Court nominees will expire at the end of 2022.
Legis. Carrié Solages (D-Lawrence) abstained in the vote on Nocella.
Blakeman also filed a District Court nomination for Norman A. Sammut, an attorney, but lawmakers did not vote on the matter Monday.
Also Monday, a $156.9 million capital plan by Blakeman failed on an 11-0 vote, with six Democrats abstaining.
Passage of the plan requires a supermajority of 13 votes in the 19-member legislature, which Republicans control.
The capital plan could come up for another vote at a future legislative meeting.
Scott Eidler covers Nassau County government and politics for Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.
