Waterbury man accused of attacking person with special needs

WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — A 53-year-old Waterbury man is facing charges after police said he attacked a student with special needs with a cane at an adult vocational rehabilitation program.

Andre Dickens was arrested on Tuesday and charged with second-degree assault on a disabled/intellectual disabled person. He has been released on a $20,000 bond.

Dickens was a direct support professional at ICES in Trumbull, according to police. T he vocational rehabilitation program provides supported living services for adults with disabilities.

Dickens attacked the 41-year-old nonverbal student unprovoked, according to police. Dickens was sitting in a chair across the room from the student at the time.

The student was cut and his face was injured as he tried to get away from Dickens, according to police. Dickens then lied and said the student tripped and fell. He drove the student to a hospital, then left.

Dickens then said he didn’t hit the student, but chased them with the cane, according to police, who noted that there’s video of the attack.

Chet Doheny, the executive director and chairman of ICES, said in a written statement that ICES is “outraged that any of our employees would harm someone in our care.”

“We immediately reported the incident, involving an adult male in our program, to the Trumbull Police Department and the Department of Developmental Services and are fully participating in the investigation,” he wrote. “The employee in question and three others have been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the investigation’s conclusion. This kind of behavior is unimaginable and goes against everything we stand for as a company in terms of our culture, values and the standard of care we provide each day to the people we serve.”

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