ACLU of Connecticut Calls for Transparency, Investigation after New Britain Police Shoot and Kill One Person, Injure Two

HARTFORD — On Thursday night, New Britain police shot and killed one person and shot and injured two others, all of whom were in a car. The New Britain Police Department has not released the names of the multiple police officers who fired their weapons, all of the names of the people who police shot, or dashboard camera footage or other footage of the shooting. The New Britain Police Department has not clarified whether the car was moving when police officers began shooting at it. The Middlesex State’s Attorney is overseeing the Connecticut State Police’s initial investigation into this fatal shooting by police. The following is a reaction from David McGuire, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut:

“In America, our justice system is supposed to treat people as innocent until proven otherwise, and we value people’s lives over property. Yet police have killed another person in Connecticut, and the public is once again struggling for answers about what happened. Policing should not be a sunlight-free or Constitution-free zone, and it should be beholden to the checks and balances that democracy demands. At minimum, when police shoot and kill someone, the public deserves full transparency. We demand complete, immediate transparency from the New Britain Police Department and a transparent, thorough investigation from the Middlesex State’s Attorney.

The New Britain Police Department should immediately identify the police officers who shot to kill and injure three people. If there is dashboard camera footage or other footage of what happened last night, law enforcement should immediately release footage. New Britain police have only released one-sided information, not the full details of what happened. Transparency will not bring back the life lost last night, but it would be a welcome step toward change.”