Former Waterford fire chief arrested
Todd Branche faces DUI charge days after resigning following controversial comments
Waterford — Days after former Cohanzie Fire Company 5 chief Todd Branche resigned from his position after posting controversial comments on Facebook, he was arrested by Waterford police Friday for allegedly driving under the influence.
Waterford police also charged Branche on Friday with carrying a loaded firearm while intoxicated and failure to drive in the proper lane, according to both a listing of Friday arrests sent to The Day and Sgt. Troy Gelinas on Saturday morning.
Gelinas said about 11:05 a.m. Friday, police received a call reporting a driver crashing into a stop sign at Dayton Road and Dayton Place and continuing to drive. Gelinas said a police car was in the vicinity at the time and was able to quickly pull over Branche about a mile from where he allegedly first hit the stop sign at Vauxhall Street Extension.
Police then performed both field sobriety and Breathalyzer tests, which Branche failed, Gelinas said. An additional Breathalyzer test was performed at the station after Branche’s arrest. Gelinas would not release Branche’s recorded blood alcohol levels.
Branche was released from custody “several hours later” on a $1,000 nonsurety bond, Gelinas said, and is due in court July 15.
The Day has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for Branche’s accident and arrest reports, which Gelinas said police were still filing and could not immediately send.
Branche, who was a volunteer chief with the Cohanzie Fire Company, resigned Sunday due to comments he made on the Waterford Community Open Forum on Facebook, according to Cohanzie Deputy Chief John Mariano, who is now serving as acting chief of the department.
On June 7, Branche responded to a photo posted in the Facebook forum of the Christopher Columbus statue in New London covered in red paint after a recent protest and a photo of a New London police car that also was spray-painted by protesters. Branche commented, “Many of ‘those people’ can’t even spell George Floyd .... but they won’t miss an opportunity...”
After many responded to Branche’s comments asking him what he meant by “those people,” the former chief commented again, saying, “Yes, those people. The people who rather than protest and address the real issues chose to destroy public property. This is not about whether or not you support Columbus this is about protesting racism and you don’t address that with spray paint. You want the statue gone you protest the statue you go to city hall you call the media. Those people, the people who just want to cause chaos are Those People. Look at the photos in The Day many of Those People I speak of are white,” Branche wrote.
The Cohanzie Fire Co. on its Facebook page posted earlier this week a statement by Mariano stating, “The sentiments expressed by Mr. Branche do not in any ways reflect the values or views of the Cohanzie Fire Co. #5 and as such Mr. Branche no longer leads or represents the Cohanzie Fire Co. #5.”