Suspended Schenectady Cop Shoots Himself In The Head
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Schenectady-- William Marhafer had been on paid leave during FBI probe
By MARV CERMAK, Staff writer
First published: Sunday, October 7, 2001
Schenectady Police Officer William Marhafer, who had been placed on paid
administrative leave in connection with a federal investigation of city
police corruption, apparently killed himself with a gunshot to the head
Saturday afternoon in the department locker room.
JAMES GOOLSBY / TIMES UNION
Schenectady Mayor Al Jurczenski, foreground, and Police Chief Gregory
Kaczmarek talk about the death of police officer William Marhafer during
a press conference Saturday at Schenectady City Hall.
Marhafer, 30, was a seven-year police veteran. He was among six officers
known to be under investigation by the FBI and a federal grand jury that
has been looking into corruption for about two years.
During a hastily assembled news conference at City Hall, Police Chief
Gregory Kaczmarek said he was in his second-floor office when notified
that Marhafer had shot himself with his service handgun.
"I rushed downstairs, but I was unable to control the bleeding or
adequately ventilate him,'' said Kaczmarek, who worked as a registered
nurse before switching careers to police work many years ago. He said
firefighter paramedics responding to the station were unable to
resuscitate the officer.
Marhafer, who was married and a father of two, had not worked since he
was taken off the duty roster on Aug. 24 at the advice of federal
authorities. Kaczmarek said the incident took place at 2 p.m. in front
of the officer's personal locker.
"I've known Willie since he was 16,'' Kaczmarek said. "All he ever
wanted to be was a police officer. He was a fine officer.''
Michael Brockbank, the city's chief attorney, said to date Marhafer had
not been charged in the federal investigation.
Mayor Albert Jurczynski called the event a tragedy for the family, the
Police Department and the entire city. "This is one of the worst days of
my life,'' the mayor said, asking the news media for a moratorium
regarding the federal investigation.
"I ask the media to stop bashing this department, because even though
only two officers have pleaded guilty, everyone is hit by the
investigation fallout and this isn't fair,'' Jurczynski said. "I would
hope the media gives us all time to grieve.''
Jurczynski refused to get into specifics about the event.
"Today is not the day to discuss why this happened,'' Jurczynski said.
District Attorney Robert Carney said he was not yet notified about the
suicide. "This is news to me, so I don't know what to say,'' Carney
said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Katko of Syracuse said federal authorities
involved in the investigation were devastated by the news. He said he
got to know Marhafer and his family very well because of the
investigation.
"He was very proud to be an officer,'' Katko said. "The bad decisions he
made were not his own ideas. The people who gave him the ideas are being
taken care of.'' He declined to elaborate.
While the federal grand jury investigation concluded at the end of
September, Carney confirmed that his office is looking into possible
state perjury or official misconduct charges against some police
officers.
According to sources, Carney is investigating allegations that in August
1999, Marhafer and Officer Joseph Zelezniak entered a Hamilton Hill
apartment without a warrant based on an informant's tip that there was
gun inside the house.
After a search they reportedly found a semi-automatic weapon in a
cabinet. In an attempt to hide the fact they had made an allegedly
illegal search, sources said, the officers' incident report said the gun
was in plain view. Thomas Neidl, Marhafer's attorney, could not be
reached for comment.
Four officers have been indicted in the FBI investigation on various
charges, including arresting drug dealers and using confiscated drugs to
pay off informants. Officers Richard Barnett and Michael Siler have
pleaded guilty to extortion and drug distribution.
Lt. Michael Hamilton and Officer Nick Messere, indicted on federal
racketeering charges, are accused of various crimes, including paying
informants with drugs, threatening potential witnesses and falsifying
police records to cover the misconduct. Both officers have pleaded not
guilty and they face future prosecution before a federal jury.
Besides Marhafer, Officer Edward Ritz, a four-year member of the
department, also was placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 8 at
the advice of federal authorities.
Cheryl Coleman, Ritz's attorney, had recently said the officer was
devastated by the move. "We have reason to believe that in aftermath of
Mike Siler's admission that he's a dirty cop and his scrambling over the
next four months to minimize his sentence, that some good cops and some
innocent cops are at risk of being caught in that web,'' Coleman had
said.
Kaczmarek said neighboring police departments have volunteered to fill
gaps in the duty lineup in case the incident poses a problem of filling
patrol slots. Paul DerOhannesian, Messere's attorney, said he was
disturbed by the news. "A lot of lives and reputations are being
threatened by federal investigative tactics,'' he said. "A common
technique is to threaten police officers with public humiliation if they
don't cooperate. Marhafer wasn't even charged, but he was under a lot of
pressure, so what you have is lives being sacrificed at the altar for
investigative expediency.''
DerOhannesian said police officers besides Messere and civilians have
come to him regarding the federal investigation. "Threatening and
coercive tactics are being used by the people running this
investigation,'' he said.