ANDOVER — Town Manager Andrew P. Flanagan and Fire Rescue Chief Michael Mansfield report that an Andover Fire Rescue lieutenant has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into an interaction that took place between him and an Andover resident that was captured on video and shared on Twitter.
Earlier on Wednesday, June 3, Andover officials were notified of a video taken by an Andover resident that had been circulating on Twitter showing a man driving a black SUV in a private driveway as the resident questioned why he was in her driveway while she was getting her mail. In the video, the man, later identified by town officials as an off-duty fire lieutenant traveling in his personal vehicle, replied stating he was concerned someone might be stealing from the residence.
“This is an extremely concerning situation, one that demands a full accounting of the facts,” Town Manager Flanagan said.
Due to the sensitive nature of the incident, the Town of Andover has consulted with its labor counsel, and the town has retained the services of an independent investigator to investigate the facts and conduct a holistic review of the matter.
Under the terms of the Fire Rescue collective bargaining agreement, the lieutenant is out of work, on indefinite paid administrative leave. His name is not being released at this time, on advice of labor counsel.
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