Lieutenant Ends 25-Year Tenure After Cemetery Crash

An officer who was previously criticized for a delayed response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting has ended his 25-year department tenure with a letter of retirement. He had been on administrative leave.

Lt. George Sinko, 49, the former public information officer, had been directing traffic at a construction site on Route 25 during the shooting, on Dec. 14, 2012. He arrived to the school two hours after fellow officers had rushed there, NewsTimes.com reported today.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said Sinko was off duty during the shooting, and was happy with his performance when he arrived on site.

In a separate incident Sinko crashed a department SUV into a 3-foot-high pillar last month at the Hawleyville Cemetery, totaling $2,000 in damages.

Kehoe told NewsTimes.com that Sinko "honorably served our citizens and our agency. It's always a sad day when any of our officers, after so many years, retires and goes on to new challenges and opportunities. And we wish him well in that respect."

Correction: Police Chief Michael Kehoe said he was happy with Sinko's performance when he arrived on site at Sandy Hook Elementary. A previous version of this article stated the opposite.