Case suspended against Norwalk Police Officer Delgado

NORWALK – Criminal prosecution of Norwalk Police Officer Hector Delgado was suspended Monday by a state prosecutor, according to Police Chief James Walsh.

Delgado was arrested by warrant in February by Bridgeport Police on charges of third-degree stalking and second-degree harassment.

Walsh said the State’s Attorney’s office in Bridgeport “nolled” the charges during a court appearance there by Delgado.

Nolle, short for nolle prosequi or nolle prosse, is a Latin legal term meaning “unwilling to prosecute.” It differs from a dismissal in that the prosecutor has 13 months to reopen the case, which occurs rarely.

A call to the State Attorney’s office in Bridgeport Thursday afternoon was not answered, so the reason for not proceeding with Delgado’s prosecution could not be learned.

Walsh said Delgado will resume full duties as an officer on Monday, April 1.

Walsh had placed Delgado on administrative leave following his arrest and initiated an Internal Affairs investigation of his conduct. He said the department’s investigation would continue to its conclusion.

It was one of three arrests of Norwalk police officers in less than three weeks. 

The charges against Delgado concerned accusations that he had been stalking his former wife and her boyfriend.

During a court appearance in February, Judge William Holden ordered Delgado to surrender his firearms and imposed a protective order against him as conditions for his release on bond.

Those conditions ended with the case being “nolled”, Walsh said.

Delgado’s arrest Feb. 23 was his third since being appointed a Norwalk officer in November 1993. He was acquitted on the first arrest and granted accelerated rehabilitation on the second.