A Democratic lawmaker in Connecticut is under scrutiny after police arrested him at a Target store for allegedly failing to scan merchandise during self-checkout.
State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, who has served four terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives, was taken into custody on Monday evening in Bethel after store security claimed he bypassed payment on two items.
According to a Bethel Police arrest summary cited by CT Mirror, loss prevention staff stopped the 33-year-old legislator after observing him on surveillance footage.
The two unscanned items reportedly had a combined value of $26.69.
Store personnel told officers that they recognized Allie-Brennan from earlier incidents that were never formally reported.
The arrest occurred at the Bethel Target, located about 60 miles southwest of Hartford.
Authorities say loss prevention personnel reviewed video footage showing the Democratic representative failing to scan select items while using the self-service checkout station.
Officers responded to the store following the report and detained Allie-Brennan on-site.
The specific merchandise involved in the incident was not identified in the arrest summary.
In a public Facebook post issued Tuesday, Allie-Brennan acknowledged what had occurred but framed it as a mistake made under time pressure.
“During a recent visit to the Bethel Target, two items in my armload of others were not scanned,” he wrote. “I was in a rush to bring items to my grandmother in the hospital, the store didn’t have bags, and I was juggling multiple purchases.”
He also said, “While I do not have a record, I take full responsibility for the error and am working through the legal processes to resolve the matter quickly and respectfully.”
Allie-Brennan emphasized that he accepts the consequences of the incident and respects store protocols.
“I respect the law and Target’s right to enforce their loss prevention policy, and I remain committed to serving my community with transparency and integrity,” he stated.
The incident has sparked public interest not only due to the arrest itself but also due to the store’s claim that the lawmaker was previously involved in similar situations that went unreported.
No further details about those incidents were included in the police documentation, the CT Mirror reports.
House Speaker Matt Ritter released a brief statement in response to the incident, indicating that the Democratic leadership is aware of the matter.
“He recognizes the high standard to which I hold our members and is taking responsibility for inadvertently leaving the Target self-checkout without scanning several items,” Ritter said, according to the New York Post.
Allie-Brennan has not made any further public comments since his Facebook post.
He also did not respond to requests for comment from the outlet.
The arrest comes at a time when questions around public officials’ accountability continue to grow.
It remains unclear whether prosecutors will pursue additional charges or if further investigation into the previous alleged store incidents will take place.
Allie-Brennan has served in the state legislature since first being elected in 2018.
No disciplinary action has yet been announced by legislative leadership.
