Westchester Guardian Article/Janet Difiore/Stephen Bonura.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

DA DiFiore Orders 27-Year Veteran
Good Cop Fired For Voicing His Opinion

Last Friday, December 12th, Pleasantville Detective Sergeant Stephen J. Bonura, accompanied by PBA President, Police Officer Erik Grutzner, held a press conference at the offices of Bonura’s attorney, Jonathan Lovett, essentially to make clear to all those concerned that Bonura’s disciplinary hearing, before the Village Board on Wednesday, December 17th at 9:00 AM, will be open to the public.

Mr. Lovett opened the session explaining, “Our District Attorney has chosen a career criminal over a career police officer, a 27-year veteran with an impeccable record.”

Lovett went on, “He expressed his own opinion that the DA had chosen to leave a career criminal on the street, one that Steve had locked up numerous times; one who should have been in prison long ago, based on a promise by the DA to see that he was sent to prison for five to seven years. But, the DA makes it clear to all that if he gives them a little information, he can be right back on the street to commit more felonies against the community.”

PBA President Grutzner spoke up, telling reporters, “We are inviting all persons in the community who wish to come out to Steve’s hearing, to do so.”

Apparently the Village Clerk had initially been telling callers that the hearing would be closed to the public. Lovett declared, “My client made it clear that he wants it open to the public, and therefore it has to be open under state and federal law.” He then quipped, “The First Amendment has Pleasantville surrounded, and we intend to poke enough holes to get it in.”

Officer Bonura, commenting on the tape of his conversation on May 19th with a newspaper reporter, said, “It took them three months to listen to the tape, and two months to decide what to do.”

Back on October 6th, The Guardian was present when more than 60 Pleasantville residents came out to the Village Board to protest the suspension of Detective Sergeant Bonura, and the loss of his partner, Officer Michael De-Maio, to the Ossining Police Department, because of DA DiFiore.