East Hartford PD lieutenant, recently retired sergeant charged with driving under the influence

An East Hartford police lieutenant and a recently retired East Harford police sergeant were arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Somers early Sunday morning.

On Sunday at 12:24 a.m., troopers from Troop C responded to reports of a vehicle driving erratically on Billings Road in Somers, according to the Connecticut State Police.

Robert Pronovost, 55, and Joseph Ficacelli, 45, were located by troopers. During the investigation, troopers were unable to determine which man was the driver of the vehicle. Both men complained of
being in pain and were transported to Johnson Memorial Hospital, state police said.

At the hospital, both men refused the standardized field sobriety test and were subsequently placed under arrest, according to state police.

Pronovost, from Bristol, was a sergeant with the East Harford Police Department and recently retired, according to multiple media reports. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs and released on a $500 non-surety bond. He is scheduled to appear at Rockville Superior Court on Feb. 13, state police said.

East Hartford police confirmed to WFSB that Ficacelli is currently a lieutenant with the East Hartford Police Department. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs and failure to drive in the proper lane. He listed his address as 31 School St. in East Hartford, which is the address for the East Harford Police Department headquarters, according to the state police report. East Hartford police told WFSB that Ficacelli has been placed on paid desk duty.

He was released on a $500 non-surety bond and is also scheduled to appear at Rockville Superior Court on Feb. 13.