Months after my open records request was first made, the New Canaan, Connecticut Police Department (NCPD) released the bodycam footage from the day they investigated an alleged assault at Dave Weigel’s home.
For months, Weigel told me and others that he was never arrested or provided a summons after a confrontation at his home on January 15, 2026.
That day Zoali Alvarez came to Weigel’s New Canaan, Connecticut home.
The confrontation was months in the making, Weigel previously told me, because late last year Mrs. Alvarez’s son came out as gay to his family.
The Alvarez teenager was friends with Weigel’s daughter and took refuge in the Weigel home because his parents reacted viciously to the revelation he was gay.
On January 15, 2026, Mrs. Alvarez did not come to Weigel’s home for that; instead, she discovered both their children were involved in illegally purchasing alcohol.
She confronted Weigel verbally; he said that he threw money at her.
From there, their stories diverged, with each accusing the other of assault.
According to a police report, both were issued summons at the scene.
At the time I received the police report, NCPD refused to release the summons referenced or the bodycam from that day. Weigel insisted he never received a summons.
Months later, NCPD released the bodycam and summons to me.
The bodycam, in the podcast at the top, shows police telling Weigel that he was being charged. He argued with them. He asked if he was being arrested, and a police officer told him that the summons was in lieu of an arrest.
The officer explained that he wouldn’t formally be handcuffed, fingerprinted, and have a mugshot.
Notably, a cop told him that the decision was made above the heads of the officers on the scene.
In a statement, Weigel said he did not lie but got confused, “I, David Weigel, swear under oath that I did not lie about saying I never signed a promise to appear notice. I did not hear nor understand what he was talking about. I assumed this was some sort of civil thing. I understood there would be a court date, that I did show up for with 30 court watchers on 2/2/26 who 15 of them subsequently provided their assessment of the level of lawlessness, fraud and collusion they witnessed in that courtroom on 2/2/26.”
Mrs. Alvarez took out a protective order over the same incident. That court hearing was on February 2, 2026; more on that case here.
The criminal case had its first hearing on January 28, 2026, which Weigel missed.
He was not detained for failing to appear for that court hearing which he came to court on February 2, 2026.
While the protective order may have caused confusion, the officer explained in the bodycam video that Weigel was being charged criminally and pointed to the date of the hearing.
Weigel asked the officers several questions and at one point, an officer said, “technically, it’s an arrest- yes sir.”
A summons is less intrusive than a formal arrest; it’s a distinction without a difference, however, the cops did Weigel a favor by issuing a summons rather than handcuffing him and taking him to the police station for a mugshot and fingerprint.
The other parts of the bodycam released show a different angle of the conversation with Weigel, and cops issuing a summons to Mrs. Alvarez.
Weigel also argued that other parts of the bodycam were not released. This is definitely not all the bodycam from January 15, 2026, because police interviewed him and Mrs. Alvarez. Those weren’t released.
He also argued that he shouldn’t have been arrested given that Mrs. Alvarez came to his home and attempted to enter without permission, “This entire bodycam there is view of Zoali’s face and neck with no signs of physical altercation in the least.”
It’s true that Mrs. Alvarez showed no bruising when she was issued a summons.
Given that each was charged, there is little chance that either will be convicted.
Those are all arguments about the validity of the arrest and investigation. Those questions will continue to be explored in court and here.
However, there is no question that Dave Weigel was issued a proper summons which he signed on January 15, 2026, despite months of protestations otherwise.
