Former police chief gets nearly 4 years in beating case
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — A suburban New York police chief who orchestrated a department coverup after beating a handcuffed man for stealing embarrassing items from his SUV has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison. Federal prosecutors indicated other charges may be looming for accomplices who aided the coverup.
Former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke apologized to his victim, the judge, his family and his Long Island community before being sentenced to 46 months Wednesday.
U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Wexler said Burke’s crimes went beyond the beating and affected the entire 2,000-member police department.
“I feel Mr. Burke acted as a dictator,” the judge said as the former chief sat stoically with his hands folded in front of his chin.