Statement Regarding Fourth Deadly Shooting by Police in Connecticut in 2020

Police employees who were members of a capitol-area regional SWAT team shot and killed a man yesterday in Manchester. The following is a statement from David McGuire, executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut:

“The limited details available in this case suggest a police response that defies all logic. In the middle of a pandemic, when the government should be doing everything to avoid endangering people by placing them in close confinement, why are police employees still trying to arrest someone on a parole warrant? Furthermore, why did police choose to escalate this situation by calling in military equipment and a SWAT team? Law enforcement should follow Connecticut law by releasing any available dashboard or body camera footage within 96 hours, and the Chief State’s Attorney, State’s Attorneys, and Governor clearly still need to issue guidance telling state and local police employees to limit arrests to only the most serious cases.”

The person whom police killed last night is the fourth person shot and killed by police in Connecticut in 2020. On January 2, Ansonia police shot and killed Michael Gregory. On January 15, Connecticut State Police shot and killed Mubarak Soulemane. On January 20, Waterbury police shot and killed Edward Gendron. A fifth person, Justin Griffin, also died in Milford Police custody on January 6.