Former Trumbull Co. volunteer cop charged with falsification

WARREN — A former volunteer police officer could find himself behind bars for up to six months if convicted of a misdemeanor falsification charge filed against his this week.

Maj. Tom Stewart, Trumbull County Sheriff’s Department, said the misdemeanor charge was filed against Tom Colosimo, who is due to appear for arraignment Monday in Newton Falls Municipal Court.

Colosimo of Newton Falls is free on a personal recognizance bond.

Colosimo had worked about 20 hours per week as a patrolman for the Newton Township Police Department. He also volunteered as a reserve officer with the West Farmington Police Department and headed up the Trumbull County Child Abduction Response Team. He is working for none of those agencies at this time.

Colosimo, working as a volunteer Newton Township police officer, said he was shot in his bulletproof vest July 7, 2008, by an unidentified assailant. Colosimo, before the shooting, called 911 to let dispatchers know he was investigating suspicious activity (possible copper theft) around a cell phone tower on Miller Graber Road. A few minutes later, he reported being shot while wearing his bulletproof vest and said he fired back at the suspect.

Stewart said detectives investigating the shooting did not see the facts and forensic evidence lining up with Colosimo’s statements.

“We believe he may have shot himself or had someone do it for him, but this definitely did not happen the way he said it did,” Stewart said.

For the complete story, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com