Town of Watertown v. Arria

Richard Arria was appointed a police officer in Watertown (the town) in 1970. He experienced as a police officer various difficult incidents. In 1975, he “began having trouble coping with his job . . . [and] sleeping.” He “became nervous and upset, and deteriorated physically and emotionally.” His family physician prescribed thirty quaaludes a month and valium. For quaa-ludes he “developed a tolerance” and “often relied on alcohol to help him sleep.” On Christmas Day, 1978, while making an arrest, he was kicked in the back and neck and suffered injury for which demerol was prescribed. In May,…