That's a spicy meatball!

A counterterrorism detective who says his failed drug test came because his wife had spiked his meatballs with marijuana has filed a lawsuit to get his job back.

Anthony Chiofalo asked the court to declare that his firing in August from the New York Police Department was unreasonable and unconstitutional, to declare that a damning hair sample was improperly taken and to order his rehiring with back pay plus interest, seniority and all benefits.

Chiofalo, a 22-year veteran assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, was suspended without pay in November 2005 after a random drug test found marijuana in his system. He denied using drugs and demanded a hearing.

During an investigation, Chiofalo's wife, Catherine Chiofalo, said she secretly put enough marijuana for about six cigarettes in her meatball recipe in July 2005, hoping a failed blood test would force him to retire, court papers say.

Catherine Chiofalo, according to court papers, testified at the hearing that she "just wanted my husband not to die of a heart attack or get killed. I wanted him to be around to help raise my son."

The couple later took and passed lie-detector tests about how the marijuana was ingested, Anthony Chiofalo's court papers say.

Chiofalo says his wife had marijuana at home because she used it to relieve nausea caused by medications she took for back pain. He said he did not know where she got it.
An administrative judge recommended that Chiofalo be reinstated. But police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who has the last word on firings, rejected the recommendation and fired Chiofalo.

A police department spokesman, John Kelly, said in an e-mailed comment on Chiofalo's firing, "The officer's excuse was not credible."

Hold the Battering Ram

Detroit-- Police used a battering ram to break down the door of an Eastpointe apartment after its occupants refused to pay for a delivery of pizza, ribs, chicken and shrimp valued at $17.18.

A woman was later arrested on suspicion of felony larceny.

"We take this kind of stuff seriously. It is a crime," said Eastpointe Detective Lt. Leo Borowsky. "These (delivery) people are on business and if you steal from them, we're going to prosecute."

According to Eastpointe police, a 21-year-old deliveryman arrived at the apartment in the 16400 block of Nine Mile with the combo meal order from Happy's Pizza about 7 p.m. Wednesday. The door was answered by a woman later identified as Jessica Gray, 19.

Gray told the delivery man she ordered the food and took the meal -- along with a large soft drink. Instead of paying, however, she slammed the door on the delivery person, police said. Occupants inside the apartment -- five females from age 14 to 21 -- yelled insults and threats when the delivery person didn't leave, police said.

"She was rough when she took it from him," Borowsky said. "And she was large enough where he didn't want to fight her."

The police were called, and according to a police report, officers "could hear the occupants laughing and whispering inside but refusing to answer the door. The officers advised the occupants that if they refused to come to the door, it would be opened by force."

Police broke down the door with a battering ram. Gray was identified as the person who took the meal from the hands of the deliveryman. Police recovered rib bones, chicken bones and shrimp tails as evidence.

Gray was arrested and arraigned Thursday in Eastpointe District Court on a felony charge of larceny from a person.

She remains in custody on a $5,000 bond.