Stamford parents claim son’s rights violated in fatal police shooting

Linda and Richard Pape, parents of the late Dylan Pape, pose with a family picture at their home. Dylan was killed by SWAT officers at his home on March 21. Linda and Richard Pape, parents of the late Dylan Pape, pose with a family picture at their home. Dylan was killed by SWAT officers at his home on March 21. Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Stamford parents claim son’s rights violated in fatal police shooting 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

STAMFORD — The parents of a man killed during a standoff with police at their Newfield home last year refute a report justifying the officers’ actions, and are moving forward with a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and the cops involved in the shooting.

In a report released last week, Danbury State’s Attorney Stephen Sedensky exonerated the two Stamford police officers who killed 25-year-old Dylan Pape last March.

John Williams, a New Haven attorney representing Pape’s parents, said “they are not surprised” by the report.

“They think it is a whitewash as do I,” Williams said.

Richard and Linda Pape declined to comment and referred questions to their attorney.

Williams said the Papes filed the lawsuit in Hartford federal court earlier this year when they became frustrated with Sedensky’s lack of communication with them.

“They filed the suit after being blown off by Sedensky,” Williams said. “They repeatedly contacted him and asked, ‘When are you going to issue your report? We need closure. We need to find out what happened to our son.’

“Finally, in great frustration, they came to see me and I went over the file. It was clear to me that it was a classic civil rights violation and there was no reason for (Dylan’s) killing.”

In an emailed statement on Tuesday, Sedensky said he was not able to expedite his investigation.

”I met with the Pape family before the report was released and went over with them the legal standards that applied to the investigation and the report," he said. “While I tried to get the report done within a year, unfortunately, this could not be done and still give the investigation into the death of Dylan Pape the attention it deserved and received.”

Stamford Corporation Counsel Kathryn Emmett declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.

Eric Daigle, an attorney representing the two officers, Sgt. Steve Perrotta and Lt. Chris Baker, did not return messages seeking comment.

Williams expected to depose Baker and Perrotta on Tuesday.

In a report released Friday by the state Division of Criminal Justice, Sedensky determined the officers were justified to use lethal force because Pape was holding a BB gun that closely resembled a semiautomatic weapon.

The report showed Pape, pretending to be his father, called 911, saying ”my son has a gun.”

Responding officers pleaded with Pape to drop the gun during an hour-long standoff at his parents’ Wedgemere Road home, according to the report.

Pape eventually approached officers with the gun in his hand, prompting the release of a police dog, the report said.

When the dog made contact, Pape raised his hand with the gun, and just before it became parallel with the ground, Perrotta and Baker fired their Colt M-4 rifles, the report said.

Baker took two shots and Perrotta fired once, striking Pape in the upper right abdomen and upper right arm, the report said.

The shot to the abdomen perforated the liver and right kidney, killing the Stamford High School grad, the report said.

The state’s Chief Medical Examiner, James Gill, ruled Pape’s death was a suicide by cop. It was only the second time in 24 years a medical examiner in the state has made that determination.

After the shooting, police found in Pape’s rented car a Walmart receipt showing he purchased the BB gun just hours before calling the police to the home. The gun did not even have the compressed air cartridge necessary to shoot BBs, the report said.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com