Mayor denies report over 911 call
Morse claims Times-Union story of Friday moprning 911 call ‘patently false’
Mayor Shawn Morse is vehemently denying a published report that he choked and threw his wife to the ground during a Friday morning incident in their home.
In a statement emailed late Sunday, as well as a weekend post on his Facebook page, Morse is disputing an account published in the Albany TimesUnion of a 911 call reportedly made by his wife, Brenda. According to the report, Brenda Morse called for help about 7:45 a.m. Friday, alleging her husband had grabbed her by the throat and thrown her down during an argument, as well as snatching a cellphone from her hand as she placed the 911 call and smashed the phone.
While the mayor admitted he and his wife had an emotional discussion about one of their children, he denied the confrontation ever became physical.
“The claims made in the Albany Times-Union are patently false,” Morse said in the statement. “As mayor of Cohoes, with the tremendous amount of positive development happening in our city, it is unfortunate that my private life and my family become gossip.
“[W]ith any family, there are good times and there are chal-
lenging times, and during the challenging times, most families get the benefit of working through these difficult times in private. At this time, my family and I are requesting privacy during this challenging and personal time.”
Morse went into more detail in his Facebook post, explaining he and his wife had a disagreement about one of their children the previous day that had continued through the night and into Friday. After a sleepless night, Morse said his wife asked him to leave so she could have some time to think, but he refused, saying he preferred to continue talking.
“She went up to the bedroom and I went to [Dunkin’ Donuts] to get us a few coffees,” he wrote. “When I got back home, the police were at my house. … The police ask[ed] if we would just give each other some space and I left. Thats all that happened.”
In a statement released Monday afternoon, Assistant Police Chief Tom Ross said city police were turning over their investigation to state police, citing the fact that Morse also currently serves as the city’s public safety commissioner, directly supervising the Police Department. Ross said the decision was encouraged by Morse.
“At this time, I would like to thank the officers and sergeant who responded to the initial call, as their work was found to be professional and thorough and the case’s transfer is in no way a reflection on their investigation,” said Ross, who is leading the department while Chief William Heslin is on extended sick leave. “This decision was made in what is believed to be the best interest to the family and all parties involved going forward.”
Morse concluded his Facebook post, which had more than 200 mostly positive comments as of Monday morning, with a promise to city residents.
“If you believe I’m unfit to be your Mayor over this, I will resign!” he said.