Blacker charged in Capitol vandalism case
May 3—State Capitol Police on Tuesday arrested Connecticut Port Authority critic and former Green Party congressional candidate Kevin Blacker on charges he painted pink stripes on the doors of the state Capitol on Friday.
Blacker was taken into custody in Noank on Tuesday by Groton Town Police on a warrant, his brother, Andrew Blacker said. Blacker faces charges of second-degree breach of peace and second-degree criminal mischief, police said.
Blacker was held in lieu of $500 and was expected to appear Wednesday in Hartford Community Court. Police said it will cost $406 to repair the what police called "antique and distinctive wood and glass doors."
In an interview with The Day on Sunday, Blacker had admitted to painting the Capitol doors in what he considered to be an act of civil disobedience to draw Gov. Ned Lamont's attention to what he claims is corruption within the port authority.
Blacker, 36, who had long fought the redevelopment of State Pier in New London, was arrested once before for a similar act of vandalism in 2020. In that case, Blacker had admitted painting directional signs pink on State Pier Road, near the State Pier construction project.
The pink paint is a reference to the pink house owned by Susette Kelo, whose was at the center of eminent domain case in New London that led to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Kelo v. New London
Earlier in 2020, Blacker was led out of a port authority meeting in handcuffs for being disruptive during a vote in Hartford on the State Pier redevelopment plan.
In 2019, Blacker said he was questioned by police at the State Capitol after distributing an email calling Lamont a "yellow-belly wimp.
Prior to the Capitol painting incident, Blacker had sent a series of emails threatening to paint the doors of the offices of the Connecticut Port Authority in Old Saybrook. He made not secret of his plans and had addressed the Old Saybrook police chief in the emails.
In an email on Saturday, after the vandalism at the state Capitol, Blacker appeared to taunt Capitol police in an email.
"How does a person walk up to the front door of the State Capital. Paint a door pink. Wearing a reflective vest. In Front of a Capital Police Officer? In Broad daylight. And then just walk away. Using the cross walk as they leave," Blacker said in the email.
Blacker, on Monday, said he wore the reflective vest not as a disguise but so that he would stand out. Capitol Police Lt. Gregory Wimble said Blacker, whose image was captured by video surveillance, looked like a maintenance worker.
Blacker still has a case pending in New London Superior Court where a second-degree criminal mischief charge in connection with the 2020 vandalism awaits resolution. He represents himself in that case.
