By Greg Smith
The Day, New London, Conn.
NEW LONDON, Conn. — The police department’s K9 unit has received a $20,000 donation from an unlikely source — a man convicted of assaulting a police officer.
The $20,000 check arrived in the mail not long after a Nov. 8 appearance by 27-year-old Kyndrel Dawson in New London Superior Court . Dawson, of Willimantic , had pleaded guilty to the charges of assault on a police officer and attempted first-degree assault.
Dawson was arrested in connection with an April 27, 2021 , incident in which he sped away from a traffic stop on Westmore Terrace with Police Officer Thomas Northup hanging on to the inside of the car. Northup was dragged 850 feet at a high rate of speed, falling to the pavement and tumbling several times in the area of Maxson Place and Montauk Avenue , police reports show.
Dawson, who was on probation at the time of the incident, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 10 to 10 years in prison.
While there is no restitution request noted in court records, New London County Victim Services Advocate LeeAnn Vertefeuille notified the city in a Nov. 17 email that the donation was part of the plea agreement. Dawson had offered to make the donation to an organization of Northup’s choosing. Northup selected the K9 unit.
City records show that Dawson’s Willimantic -based attorney, Jerome Paun , has already delivered the check to the city. Paun could not be reached for comment Thursday.
New London Police Chief Brian Wright said on Thursday that the department is fortunate to have received the donation and it would be put to good use. He said he anticipates using the money for things like canine care, training and possibly an addition to the K9 unit in the future.
The department’s K9 unit consists of four K9 teams: Officer Seth Bolduc and his dog Iris, Officer Joe Kondash and dog Zeke, Officer Joe Hajj and dog Reya and Community Resource Officer Christina Nocito and dog Traveler.
Nocito and Traveler were honored on Sunday at a halftime ceremony during the New York Giants football game. They were recognized for being among the graduates of the Puppies Behind Bars service dog program.
Dawson, who has several pending criminal and motor vehicle cases and convictions, remains held on a $500,000 bond.
The New London City Council is scheduled to formally vote to accept the money at its Dec. 18 meeting.
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