Exercising a little-known authority called 'retention,' the commissioner, Edward Caban, ensured the case would never go to trial. Instead, Caban reached his own conclusion in private.
He decided that it 'would be detrimental to the Police Department's disciplinary process' to pursue administrative charges against the officer, Gerard Dowling, according to a letter the department sent to the oversight agency.
Since becoming commissioner last July, he has short-circuited cases involving officers accused of wanton misconduct.
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