Lewiston Police Detective Joe Philippon has resigned from the department and reached a separation agreement with the city following an internal affairs investigation.

Philippon, a 20-year veteran of the department, was placed on administrative leave with pay in late August. No details about the investigation have been made public.

The Sun Journal obtained the separation agreement and Philippon’s resignation letter through a Freedom of Access Act request.

“While departing does not come without sadness and reservations, I believe now is the right time for me to build on what we have accomplished together at the LPD by pursuing new opportunities for me to be of service to the public,” Philippon said in the resignation letter dated Oct. 1.

His letter also details several career accomplishments, positive employee evaluations and community engagement efforts that earned him recognition and made him popular among residents.

“This position has always meant much more to me than a job or paycheck,” he said in the letter. “My parents instilled in me a calling to public service, and I treasure the many opportunities the LPD provided for me to contribute to public safety and the common good.”

Philippon has been disciplined four times throughout his career, including allegations of assaulting suspects on two separate occasions. One of his three suspensions was related to a feud with another officer.

One criminal justice expert told the Sun Journal last month that it is rare, if not unheard of, for a police officer to remain on the force with a disciplinary record similar to Philippon’s.

“I don’t think I ever saw a police officer who had four of these,” Thomas P. Peters, a local attorney who served as chairman of the complaint review committee at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, said during an interview in September.

According to the separation agreement, the city agrees not to release any information about Philippon’s “2025 Internal Affairs Investigation Report and any other disciplinary charges,” except what may be required by law.

The city will also notify the Maine Criminal Justice Academy that Philippon has resigned voluntarily and that Lewiston is not proceeding with any further action related to the investigation.

Both parties also agreed “not to disparage, defame, criticize or otherwise speak adversely against” each other.

As part of the agreement, Philippon will receive a payout of unused sick leave hours in the amount of $47,986 and an additional $12,750 for “transition health insurance benefits.”

Philippon did not respond to calls requesting an interview Wednesday.

A Lewiston native, Philippon was well-known in Lewiston for not only his years of community policing work, but also his involvement with public art initiatives, the Summer Fun and Films program, and other community events.

Philippon has also been involved in local politics for years, often writing letters to the editor in support of political candidates. In 2022, he penned a guest column stating that Lewiston must confront its lingering racism, and he marched alongside Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020.

In his resignation letter, Philippon said he’s hopeful that his work to develop the Project Support You program, which partners police officers with mental health and and substance counselors, will have “lasting meaningful impact.”

“As I have said countless times, everything I have done is because of the community of people who welcomed and saw value in my ideas,” Philippon said in the letter.

Since former police Chief David St. Pierre announced his retirement in September, Philippon’s name has been floated by several community members as a possible successor, even after he was placed on administrative leave.

Under the terms of the agreement, Philippon will not seek or apply for future paid positions with the city, “except for elected municipal officer positions.”

Staff Writer Mark LaFlamme contributed to this report.