Officer takes skull piece for 'ashtray'

NORWALK, CONN. - The family of a deceased Hopewell Junction man has indicated it intends to sue after a police officer took part of the man's skull from the scene of an automobile accident and bragged he would use it as an ashtray.

Officer Liam Callahan, a nine-year veteran of the city police department in Norwalk, Conn., took the skull fragment after 62-year-old Alfred Caviola of Hopewell Junction died in a May 29 crash in Norwalk.

Callahan found the skull fragment in the street after the medical examiner had left the accident scene. He was fired from his job Friday, Norwalk police Chief Harry Rilling said.