$1M lawsuit: 'Humiliation' over firing led to New Bedford fire

NEW BEDFORD — A lawsuit alleges that the city’s actions related to Deputy Fire Chief Paul Coderre Jr.’s firing led to a “psychotic episode” and his death in a gun battle with police one year ago, filed on behalf of his widow and seeking more than $1 million in damages.

Coderre, 55, was shot to death by police following a standoff at the Bayside Lounge in Fairhaven on Dec. 29, 2023. Coderre had been having lunch and drinks with friends and fellow members of the Bristol County Fire Chiefs Association.

He became intoxicated and made suicidal statements during the standoff, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, according to police reports. Coderre shot an Acushnet police officer in the leg before he was shot to death.

Screen shot from a Fairhaven cruiser camera shows Coderre firing his weapon toward the Acushnet officer, other officers. Attorneys representing his widow, Jane Coderre, and the Coderre Estate said Coderre’s actions were prompted by a “psychotic break as a result of the humiliation and very public campaign against him that led him to get very intoxicated and prompt a ‘suicide by cop’ when he pulled a gun on responding officers.”

The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office ruled that the shooting was justified following an investigation. The DA’s report was released Aug. 8.

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Lawsuit: Coderre had a ‘psychotic break’ because of ‘humiliation’ by city

Attorneys representing his widow, Jane Coderre, and the Coderre estate said Coderre’s actions were prompted by a “psychotic break as a result of the humiliation and very public campaign against him that led him to get very intoxicated and prompt a ‘suicide by cop’ when he pulled a gun on responding officers” in a press release.

Jane Coderre and the Coderre estate are being represented by attorneys David Hoey and Philip Beauregard.

The lawsuit names the city, Mayor Jon Mitchell and three unnamed city employees, and alleges civil conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, invasion of privacy and abuse of process, according to the press release.

The three unnamed defendants “are yet-to-be-identified city of New Bedford employees or agents who acted in concert” with Mayor Mitchell, according to the lawsuit.

It was filed in Bristol County Superior Court on Dec. 23.

Attorneys say Coderre wrongly accused of faking injuries

Jane Coderre’s attorneys say Mitchell and other city officials were responsible for a campaign of harassment against her husband.

They say he was wrongly fired while serving as acting chief, “and repeatedly vilified and accused falsely of faking injuries that left him unable to work,” according to the release.

They say Jane Coderre has been blocked from receiving benefit payments while the city appeals a Civil Service Commission ruling last year that determined Coderre was wrongly terminated and denied disability and pension payments.

“The multiple injustices committed against Paul Coderre Jr. during his lifetime have caused severe ongoing financial harm to his widow Jane and to Paul’s memory in the community after 30 years of dedicated service as a firefighter and department administrator,” said Beauregard in the release. “The purpose of this lawsuit and other litigation to be filed in the coming months is to set the record straight and restore to Jane Coderre the financial benefits which have been taken from her by the city mayor.”

According to the release, Coderre died in the shootout at the parking lot of the Bayside lounge in Fairhaven hours after he was served notice that the city was appealing the Civil Service Commission findings that determined he was wrongly terminated and had not faked any injuries.

The city had hired a private investigator in 2021 while Coderre was out on disability, who took videotape of him removing a box containing a 176-pound smoker grill from the bed of his pickup truck, which was used as evidence against his claim. This still photo is taken from the video.

They stated in the release that one year later “an extensive narrative about Mayor John Mitchell’s firing of Coderre for ‘dishonesty and untruthfulness in connection with alleged work-related injuries’ remains featured on the city of New Bedford’s website, including videos taken of Coderre by a private investigator the city hired to come up with evidence that Coderre was feigning injuries that left him unable to work, that have since been found by the Civil Service Commission to be misleading and unpersuasive.”

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They add that the city website doesn’t mention that Coderre’s termination by the mayor was found to be wrongful by the Civil Service Commission last year.

Civil Service Commission: Coderre hadn’t faked a back injury

The Civil Service Commission had ruled Coderre’s 2022 firing for allegedly faking a back injury to go on disability leave had been “unlawful” and “wrong-headed” on Nov. 30, 2023, a month before the fatal standoff.

Coderre had said he suffered a work-related back injury in 2016 when his vehicle was broadsided en route to a two-alarm fire, and that he reinjured his back again on two occasions in 2019 while on duty at structure fires.

Former deputy fire chief Paul Coderre Jr. is seen here in this file photo.

He underwent back surgery for a spinal injury in 2016, and, again in 2020 and 2021. Coderre also had hip surgery in 2020, according to the Civil Service Commission.

According to the Civil Service Commission decision, “He did not submit false injury reports; he did not abuse the NBFD’s injured leave policy; he did not lie or misrepresent the nature of his disability.”

The city had hired a private investigator in 2021 while Coderre was out on disability, who took videotape of him removing a box containing a 176-pound smoker grill from the bed of his pickup truck, which was used as evidence against his claim.

The Civil Service Commission, however, ruled the video clips played in slow motion “clearly show” that Coderre “walks with a discernable, deliberate and altered gait.”

Mayor’s office: Lawsuit’s allegations ‘have no merit’

The Standard-Times reached out to Mayor Mitchell’s office for comment.

Jonathan Darling, city of New Bedford spokesperson, replied in an email, “The allegations in this lawsuit, which are the same ones made in the prior presentment letter, have no merit. The unfortunate reality of this matter is that Mr. Coderre fired a handgun at police officers, who had no choice but to act in self-defense and protect innocent bystanders.”

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Lawsuit alleges New Bedford fire chief’s death in shootout job-related

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