HINSDALE — The firm hired to conduct an independent review of the Hinsdale Police Department following January’s fatal police shooting has prior professional ties to Chief Shawn Boyne.

Connecticut-based Daigle Law Group, which specializes in police department audits and risk management, will examine the department's policies, procedures, protocols and operations, according to a Thursday letter from Town Administrator Robert Graves.

On Friday, Graves said he has full confidence in Daigle Law Group's ability to conduct an impartial review despite those ties, noting the firm's national reputation and arguing that its work with other municipalities would not survive scrutiny if past professional relationships compromised its findings.

Graves said the Select Board chose the firm and Boyne was not involved in the decision. He also said he was not aware they knew each other professionally until after contacting the firm.

Town voters unanimously approved $25,000 for an independent audit of the department in March in response to the shooting of Biagio Kauvil.

Kauvil, 27, was killed during a well-being check at 53 Off South St. after he called 911 while experiencing a mental health crisis. Hinsdale Police Officer Jeffrey Spratt fired the shot that killed Kauvil during a struggle in which authorities said Kauvil was holding a handgun that discharged.

District Attorney Timothy Shugrue announced in April that the officer who fired the fatal shot had acted in lawful self-defense and investigators found considerable concern about whether department policies were followed. Shugrue also echoed the recommendation from town counsel and the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association for an independent review of the department.

The firm’s principal attorney, Eric P. Daigle, and Boyne both previously worked for the Connecticut State Police.

Boyne began his law enforcement career with the Connecticut State Police, where he worked from 1987 to 2010. Daigle served as a detective in the same agency from 1992 to 2002. It is not clear whether their time in the department overlapped or whether they worked together directly.

In 2013, while Boyne was chief of the New Milford Police Department, Daigle Law Group was hired to review and revise the department’s written policies and procedures, according to CT Insider. That work followed officer-involved deaths that occurred in the late 1990s, before Boyne became chief.

New Milford’s town attorney at the time, Randy DiBella, was quoted in the CT Insider article stating Daigle was highly recommended by Boyne.

"Eric Daigle is a consultant who specializes in preparing a comprehensive policy to be implemented by command staff and officers," DiBella said. "I couldn't recommend him more highly than the chief does. This is a terrific idea."

In an email Friday, Graves said the firm is widely used by municipalities across the country and is a "highly regarded law enforcement consulting and risk-management firm with extensive experience and professional expertise."

"If prior work for another city or town affected their reports and recommendations, firms that do this work wouldn't have DGL's reputation," Graves said.

Graves added that the firm has worked with communities throughout New England and beyond, including in Connecticut, and he is not surprised that it worked with the town of New Milford.

“They provide the exact type of work our Town Counsel, the Berkshire District Attorney, and the Massachusetts Chiefs’ Association have suggested we engage in following the January 7 incident,” he wrote.

Daigle did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue holds a news conference announcing the conclusion of a police use-of-force investigation in the Jan. 7 shooting death of Biagio Kauvil by Hinsdale police. The two officers involved were cleared of wrongdoing, but Shugrue urged Hinsdale to conduct a review of its police department operations.

In response to The Eagle’s question about whether the prior professional connection could present concerns about the independence of the review, Shugrue said he encouraged the town to hire an independent investigator.

“As I stated earlier, when I announced findings in the criminal investigation into Mr. Kauvil’s death, I strongly encouraged the Town of Hinsdale to hire an investigator independent, and without any connection to anyone at the town, including the police department. An independent review is critical for the integrity of the investigation,” Shugrue said.

Amanda Burke and Maryjane Williams contributed to this report.