STORRS, Conn. (AP) - A University of Connecticut police officer is accused of stalking and harassing two school employees.
Officer Peter Zavickas, 54, was arrested on a warrant charging him with stalking, electronic stalking, computer crime and harassment, the Tolland State’s Attorneys Office announced Tuesday.
Zavickas, a 17-year veteran of the University of Connecticut Police Department, allegedly followed the two employees of UConn’s Division of Public Safety in his car and used the university’s statewide camera system to monitor their movements.
Prosecutors said their investigation showed that between September 30, 2019, and October 21, 2020, Zavickas, watched the employees on live video and searched archived video of two University of Connecticut Public Safety parking lots on the Storrs campus. Zavickas, who is assigned to the school’s Avery Point campus, had no legitimate business purpose to utilize the camera system to view footage on the Storrs campus, prosecutors said.
He also is accused of improperly using the Connecticut On-Line Law Enforcement Communications Teleprocessing System, which allows police to access various state and federal law enforcement data and resources, prosecutors said.
“The victims in this case were greatly affected by Mr. Zavickas’ actions,” Tolland State’s Attorney Matthew Gedansky said. “The Division of Criminal Justice is committed to applying the law fairly and equally. No one is above the law, including those who are given the responsibility to serve and protect the public.”
Zavickas was released on $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Tolland Superior Court on Thursday Attempts to reach him for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful. It was not immediately clear if he has hired an attorney, and a phone number listed to him was no longer in service.
UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said Zavickas has been placed on leave, and she referred all other comment to the State’s Attorneys Office.
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