40°
The Rev. Paul Juchniewich, known in part for a federal civil rights action against the Norwalk Police Department and the city of Norwalk, walked into Norwalk Police Headquarters on Friday evening to file a complaint stemming from a road rage incident earlier that day. Juchniewich, 46, of 78 Arden St., Trumbull and Kris Holdefehr, 44, of 3 Comstock Hill Road, were arrested and charged with breach of peace in the incident. There was no bond.
Juchniewich is the pastor of Cavalry Chapel, formerly located at 25 Van Zant St. His lawsuit, which was filed in August, stems from a Sept. 7, 2008, incident in which he was arrested while giving a Sunday morning service at the church. Juchniewich was charged with breach of peace over a parking dispute at 25 Van Zant St. He was later found not guilty, according to The Hour.
He has posted a youTube video about his latest arrest, shown above.
Juchniewich entered headquarters at 9:08 p.m. Friday to complain about a woman who had followed him to the Wendy's on New Canaan Avenue earlier, after yelling at him on North Water Street, according to Sgt. Lisa Cotto, who is named as a plaintiff in Juchniewich's suit. He alleged that the woman tailgated him on North Water Street, honking her horn. As the two vehicles approached North Main Street at Ann Street, she tried to pull up alongside Juchniewich. He opened the door and asked whether there was a problem, and the verbal altercation ensued.
Juchniewich produced cell phone video of the woman, cursing at him in Wendy's. He had her name, because she had promised to call the police and told him her name and address. Cotto said he had looked her up via the Internet as well. Police said they would talk to her and that he might be arrested as well.
Holdefehr, the other driver, allegedly admitted following Juchniewich onto the Route 7 connector and to Wendy's. She said Juchniewich had called her "every name in the book" and told her to shut up, using an expletive. Specifically, she alleges that Juchniewich called her a curse word three times. Both have a court date May 11.
(Correction made May 3: according to Winthrop Baum, property manager at 25 Van Zant St., Calvary Chapel is no longer at that address.)
Follow The Daily Norwalk on Facebook.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
