Lawsuit filed against New Bedford by family of former fire chief killed in police shooting
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — Attorneys representing the family of former New Bedford Fire Chief Paul Coderre, Jr. said they have filed a lawsuit against the city alleging civil conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, invasion of privacy, and abuse of process.
Coderre was previously fired by the city for “dishonesty” and “untruthfulness” after they determined he was lying about an injury he was receiving full pay for while on leave.
He later won a ruling with Civil Service Commission that found his termination and denial of pension was unlawful, which was appealed by the city.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the former chief’s widow, Jane Coderre, who has allegedly been blocked from receiving disability and pension payments “because of an appeal still pending by the city.”
Coderre was killed by police on Dec. 29, 2023 after “threatening to shoot himself or police” before shooting at officers at the Bayside Lounge.
The Bristol County District Attorney Office later released a report that determined officers acted appropriately in the incident.
The attorneys said that he was “wrongly fired, and repeatedly vilified and accused falsely of faking injuries that left him unable to work,” and added that he suffered a “psychotic break” and committed “suicide by cop” as a result of the city’s “public campaign against him.”
“Over a year after Coderre’s death, an extensive narrative about Mayor John Mitchell’s firing of Coderre for ‘dishonesty and untruthfulness in connection with alleged work-related injuries’ remains featured on the city of New Bedford’s website, including videos taken of Coderre by a private investigator the city hired to come up with evidence that Coderre was feigning injuries that left him unable to work, that have since been found by the Civil Service Commission to be misleading and unpersuasive,” a statement from the attorneys reads.
The video used by the city to justify the termination showed Coderre moving a 176-pound grill from his truck, which caused the medical examiner who previously accepted his injuries to reassess his claims.
The attorneys also cited the Civil Service Commission determination that Coderre had undergone three back surgeries and three physicians and “concluded that he was not able to perform the duties of a firefighter.”
The city released the following statement on the lawsuit:
The allegations in this lawsuit, which are the same ones made in the prior presentment letter, have no merit. The unfortunate reality of this matter is that Mr. Coderre fired a handgun at police officers, who had no choice but to act in self-defense and protect innocent bystanders.
