White Plains officer calls for federal probe into assault claim

A White Plains police officer is asking for a federal investigation after he claims he was assaulted by a police chief three years ago. Michael Hannon says he has not been able to work as an officer

News 12 Staff

Nov 22, 2014, 3:26 AM

Updated 3,664 days ago

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A White Plains police officer is asking for a federal investigation after he claims he was assaulted by a police chief three years ago.
Michael Hannon says he has not been able to work as an officer since being struck by a chair in his department's communications room in September 2011. He claims Assistant Chief Anne Fitzsimmons threw the 40-pound chair at him after a complaint had been made about his work.
Hannon says he was severely hurt following the incident, claiming it left him with an injured disc in his spine and nerve damage.
Hannon was joined by members of the Westchester chapter of Blacks In Law Enforcement, along with family and friends for a press conference today at Westchester County Court in White Plains. Hannon says he wants a federal investigation after District Attorney Janet DiFiore did not file criminal charges.
The District Attorney's Office says a full investigation was conducted 2 1/2 years ago, but did not find enough evidence to file criminal charges. The case was then sent back to the White Plains Police Department for an internal review.
Court documents also show a federal judge dismissed an earlier lawsuit against Fitzsimmons and White Plains.