Hamden Cop Shoots Woman In Newhallville

by Thomas Breen & Paul Bass | Apr 16, 2019 2:27 pm

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Posted to: Hamden, Legal Writes

A woman is in the hospital Tuesday after a shooting that involved police officers — with community outrage building over an official version that may be contradicted by citizen video. The incident occurred in the area of Argyle Street and Dixwell Avenue. It has already sparked budding protests, with a black clergy press conference held at 3 p.m. and a protest rally planned for 5:30 outside Hamden police headquarters, as well as a 7 p.m. public discussion at the NAACP office at 423 Dixwell Ave. It is the latest in a string of recent incidents that have focused criticism on the Hamden police, including calls for the creation of a civilian review board to review misconduct. New Haven Mayor Toni Harp said she is convening a teleconference Wednesday morning with Hamden Mayor Curt Leng and the chiefs of the New Haven, Hamden and Yale departments. Leng confirmed the meeting. “It’s unfortunate when anyone is a victim of gun violence,” Harp told the Independent. “My heart goes out to the young woman and to her family.” “I remain gravely concerned about what transpired,” she added in a statement that she provided in a press release. “I called the mother of the young woman who was shot to express my concern and wish the young woman a thorough recovery.” Len promised that the incident will be investigated “with the utmost seriousness it deserves.” The Official Version The episode began when Hamden police investigated a possible robbery at 4:19 a.m. State Trooper Josue Dorelus offered the official version of the event at a press conference at the scene mid-Tuesday. (Watch it here, courtesy of WFSB.) According to Dorelus, Hamden cops were responding to a report that a man attempted an armed robbery of a newspaper delivery person at a gas station. They looked for a red Honda Civic the alleged assailant was driving. They believe they spotted it soon after at Argyle and Dixwell across the border in New Haven. Yale cops came to back up Hamden cops. New Haven cops were present. A Hamden officer directed the male driver to get out of the car with his hands up, but he refused, and instead “exited the vehicle in an abrupt manner” and turned toward the officer, Dorelus claimed. At that point, both Hamden and Yale cops fired an unknown number of bullets. At least one of those bullets struck a woman in the front passenger seat — or as Dorelus put it, she was struck “at least one time in the lower torso.” She received medical attention on site, then was taken to the hospital, where she’s listed in stable condition. A law enforcement official familiar with the incident confirmed that the woman’s name is Stephanie Washington, who is 22 years old. She was struck that one time (contrary to some information posted on social media). Police arrested the man, Paul Witherspoon. Dorelus at the press conference refused to identify the man or the woman or to list the charges. So far police have found no weapons in the vehicle, according to Dorelus. “A detailed search of the vehicle has not been conducted yet,” he added. The man was not carrying a weapon when the officers fired. A neighbor took a cellphone video of the incident, which does not appear to show the driver exiting the car. Click the video at the top of the story to see the footage provided by a Dixwell Avenue resident, Troy Streater (pictured near the scene), who said he did not record it. (Click the video below for a shorter, clearer video from WTNH’s Kent Pierce’s Twitter feed and see another video at the bottom of the story from Larry Mingrone that shows the aftermath of the shooting.) Surveillance video shows the moment a Hamden Police Officer opens fire on a car in New Haven. pic.twitter.com/h7IrwPbcgo — Kent Pierce (@kentpierce8) April 16, 2019 Troy Streater, who lives on Dixwell Avenue near where the shooting took place, declined to identify the neighbor who had taken the video, Streater, who works at the 180 Center on Grand Avenue from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays, said he was at work at the time of the shooting. He said his mom reached out to him soon after the shooting took place. “It’s scary,” he said. “I just think the police should be more careful.” At the press conference, Hamden Acting Police Chief John Cappiello was asked why Hamden cops crossed over into New Haven and whether they contacted New Haven police for assistance. “I’m not going to comment on the investigation. An internal affairs investigation will be conducted. We’ll have to wait” for that outcome, he responded. Shooting Target Released The mother of Paul Witherspoon (pictured), the 21-year-old Hamden resident who was driving the car that Hamden and Yale police shot at, reported Tuesday evening that her son has been released from police custody with no charges filed. A law enforcement official familiar with the case confirmed her report. (Click here for an interview with driver Witherspoon by WTNH’s Mario Boone.) “If you knew the whole story,” she told a crowd of around 150 people who gathered at the corner of Dixwell and Argyle at dusk on Tuesday, “then you would know that those two people were not the people that they were looking for.” (She declined to give her name to a reporter.) She said that police need to start treating young people like Witherspoon and Stephanie Washington, the woman who was shot by Yale and Hamden police, as if they were kids of their own. “Our children are important to us,” she said. “But these cops need to know that those kids are their kids too.” Ministers: “We Want Answers” Newhallville ministers blasted the Hamden police handling of the incident at a press conference held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at First Calvary Baptist Church. They questioned why Hamden cops crossed into New Haven, allegedly without notifying New Haven; and, based on what people saw in the video, why an officer got out and started shooting at a car containing an unarmed individual. “We want answers,” declared Rev. Boise Kimber, who led the press conference. “It’s a terrible action to see a police officer get out of his car, start shooting … run and start shooting again. … This officer got out of his vehicle and started shooting. Nobody tried to run over you. You blocked the car in. No gun.” Kimber called for the release of Hamden and Yale police body camera footage. He criticized Hamden police for not offering any public information since the incident occurred. He added that Hamden and Yale police chiefs have spoken with the ministers, but “we have not been able to contact Hamden police department. They are not answering the phone.” “There needs to be price paid for breaking policies. Because black lives do matter,” added the Rev. Scott Marks. Pastor John Lewis, who does peace and reconciliation work, suggested that the Hamden officer he saw shooting in the video may have felt uncomfortable entering New Haven. “Maybe automatically he went from one to five. That’s what I saw when I saw that video. The officer running, shooting backwards. He could have hit one of his fellow officers the way he was shooting.” After the press conference, ministers then walked to the shooting scene and led chants along the way. Click on the video to watch. During a group prayer inside the NAACP headquarters at 423 Dixwell Ave., Marks said his birthday is April 15. Twenty-two years ago, he woke up on his birthday to learn that Malik Jones had been killed by East Haven police. Then this morning, the day after his birthday, he learned about this latest shooting. “Every day on my birthday, I wake up and I think, is another one of ours gonna get shot,” he said. An experienced law enforcement official noted that Hamden probably put out a broadcast that it was looking for the car, since Yale police were on scene. No official protocol exists about specifically informing a neighboring police department that officers are about to enter its jurisdiction. “Officers can go from one jurisdiction from another if there’s a felony. Good practice, good relationship? You want to have a good relationship with another police department and let them know, ‘We’re in your town looking for a guy.’ It’s good practice. It’s sound practice. There’s no protocol.” The state police Major Crime Unit is handling the investigation of the incident. Leng Issues Statement Hamden Mayor Leng issued a statement at 5 p.m. to the Independent. “Every single time a gun is fired in our community, it has my concern and my immediate attention,” he said. “Please know that this incident is being investigated with the utmost seriousness it deserves. The State of Connecticut has come in to conduct a full investigation. “As mayor, I will need to hold off on any further public comments to ensure nothing I say has even the slightest chance of tainting what I trust will be a comprehensive investigation and evaluation by the state.” Recent car chases by Hamden cops have led the department to revisit is chase policy, with an eye toward dramatically limiting them. Click here to read about that. In the last year, Hamden has had two fatalities that resulted from police chases — one in August, and one on New Year’s. In both cases, it was a passenger, and not the driver of the pursued car, who died.



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posted by: cunningham Police really are masters of the passive voice: “shots were fired… female occupant suffered a non-life threatening bullet wound…” More proof Hamden needs to set up a civilian review board — when a cop shoots someone transparency and accountability are non-negotiable. Looking forward to seeing the body cam footage.

posted by: thecove on April 16, 2019 12:40pm @Cunningham….yes, transparency is important, so is the gathering of all the facts before making definitive statements.

posted by: The Sleeping Giant on April 16, 2019 12:44pm Cunningham-so you want the matter fully investigated and all facts and circumstances made available to the media within a few hours of the event? Oh ok. “More proof Hamden needs a civilian review board”. I must be blind because I have read the story twice and I can’t find a complaint from any suspect involved, a report from the state investigators, any feedback from any bystander. What exactly would be the role of civilian review board in the complete absence of any indication that the Pd did anything wrong…..YET? Is the role of the CRB to preemptively neuter police officers or start an inquisition following every police action that rises above the level of giving a traffic ticket? All rhetorical, as I don’t expect a reasonable response from an individual who requires full transparency hours after a shooting. The woman shot could be an innocent bystander, a criminal who posed a threat or something in between.

posted by: Caruso on April 16, 2019 2:24pm @the sleeping giant the role of a CRB is to gather information and to ensure an impartial and independent investigation. Regardless of “why” someone was shot and that is something that absolutely need a to be investigated

posted by: cunningham @thecove

Transparency is in fact necessary to “gather all the facts,” and I believe you’ll find the only definitive statement I made was calling out the police statement’s use of the passive voice (sorry, I studied English). @The Sleeping Giant

I wasn’t complaining at a lack of facts so soon after the event, but calling for transparency and accountability moving forward — hence “looking forward” to body cam footage. As for the rest of your post — yes, I think that every single time a police officer uses deadly force, the incident should be investigated fully and as transparently as possible, no matter what the circumstances. Call me crazy, but I think our public servant should be held to a standard at least as high as the general public, especially those servants in whom we entrust the authority to kill. That’s the role of a CRB.

posted by: The Sleeping Giant on April 16, 2019 3:35pm Caruso- I understand that the CRB is the cause du jour, but what exactly is the real, not hypothetical, issue you are solving for in Hamden? Do you have some reason to believe the existing information gathering and investigative processes are unreliable to the point of installing an additional and contemporaneous (?) process. I don’t recall seeing a CRB advocate for innocent citizens who are harassed by the police (yes, I believe those incidences exists). Unfortunately, all you ever see os rabid advocacy for individuals who have no respect for the law or interest in living peacefully among their neighbors.

posted by: mspepper on April 16, 2019 3:46pm A young, unarmed woman was shot 6-10 times by a police officer. What yet-to-emerge details could POSSIBLY excuse that????? It doesn’t matter what happened, this is NOT an acceptable outcome. [Paul: Police fired many shots. As far as we can determine, one bullet struck the woman.]

posted by: Atticus Shrugged on April 16, 2019 4:48pm @NHI, journalistic question. While is it that the victim’s name is printed in this story, but the police officer’s is not? I can somewhat understand not publishing the name of an arrestee, as no crime has been proven. This was done in the event of the off duty police officer who allegedly attacked another patron in a bar. But by publishing the woman’s name here, anyone who knows her may imply the alleged burglar. Also, why should the offending officer who was acting, theoretically in the line of duty and on the tax payer’s dime, be given the right of anonymity? Also, did Streater notice any presence of New Haven or Yale police as the official statement makes note? Has either department released its own statement? [Paul: Thanks for the comment. We don’t know the officer’s name. We would publish it if we had it. We are withholding the name of the arrestee as per our policy.]

posted by: Gretchen Pritchard on April 16, 2019 4:51pm “Paul: Police fired many shots. As far as we can determine, one bullet struck the woman.” What matters, it seems to me, is how many shots were fired, rather than how many actually happened to strike her. Clearly, these cops were not in a position to aim precisely, and/or they (like most armed persons in the heat of an incident) were not really all that highly skilled at aiming under stress. The fact that only one shot struck her is more or less a matter of chance. If the rest of the shots had happened to hit closer to their undoubted target, she would likely be dead. It is also fortunate, as Pastor Lewis comments, that no one else happened to be in the line of fire. If there had been more passengers, someone else might be dead. Mr. Streater’s comment that “I just think the police should be more careful,” is a marvel of moderation. This incident is appalling on so many levels.

posted by: Caruso on April 16, 2019 5:03pm @the sleeping giant to your first point yes, and to your second point hopefully more accountability will curb instances like this

posted by: fcastle1984 on April 16, 2019 6:25pm Another incident with another department. Another incident NHPD will be blamed for.

posted by: Brian L. Jenkins on April 16, 2019 7:13pm Let me first continue to pray that the young lady pulls through. I’m someone who waits to voice my opinion when the facts are rendered. However, thus far, according to what was written, the surface questions I do have are, was he ever at the site where he was supposedly going rob? Why was he being pulled over in the first place if a crime was not committed? Finally, I support Pastor Kimber and Pastor Lewis for the their appropriate comments and subsequent inquiries to seek justice for this young lady. However, again, I caution those who wish to rush to judgement in this case. Staying involved, yes. But pump your brakes.

posted by: narcan on April 16, 2019 8:12pm And thus the legacy of encouraging non-compliance and hostility toward lawful investigations continues. Virtually every person in the history of getting arrested has claimed “I didn’t do it.” If you didn’t do it, give the officer time and cooperation to figure that out. From the sounds of these videos, I get the impression we don’t even want our police trying to solve armed robberies anymore.

posted by: Brian L. Jenkins on April 16, 2019 8:44pm @ narcan, Was there a robbery? [Paul: No. It even turns out that the reported attempted robbery may not have even been accurate.]

posted by: THREEFIFTHS on April 16, 2019 10:05pm This sounds like what happen to Sean Bell. https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/criminal-justice/2015/01/23/ny1-exclusive—survivor-of-sean-bell-shooting-says-now-is-right-time-to-speak-out

posted by: Brian L. Jenkins on April 17, 2019 9:21am Thanks Paul. I knew there wasn’t. I was responding to this out of place statement “From the sounds of these videos, I get the impression we don’t even want our police trying to solve armed robberies anymore.” It’s such an asinine statement, that it doesn’t surprise me that the author has no response to my question. Of course we want our police officers to address armed robberies. It’s the fake ones that were in opposition to. For me, what begs a more prominent question outside of the shooting of this young woman is, what was Yale’s involvement? So yes, the community should be outraged.

posted by: The Sleeping Giant on April 17, 2019 12:26pm Mspepper you are absolutely correct. This is not an acceptable outcome. I think people are conflating the issues. Waiting for facts to unfold and performing an investigation is not the equivalent of condoning the police’s behavior. We live in an instaNews world where people want immediate answers to complicated matters regardless of the substance or veracity of those answers. Cudos to Mayor Leng for keeping a level head and taking a deliberative approach to this. I suspect he will end up with a good set of facts to support his actions so that an allegedly trigger happy police officer is not reinstated and given back pay after years of appeals. I find suspect the Independent’s editorial comment above. [Paul: Police fired many shots. As far as we can determine, one bullet struck the woman.] Yet, the headline conclusively stated yesterday that Hamden police shot a woman. [Paul: No. It even turns out that the reported attempted robbery may not have even been accurate.] Source? What should the reader infer from this Monday morning quarterbacking statement? The officers stopped the red car under the pretext of a robbery when none occurred? That the officers had a duty when they received such a report, to determine with full certainty that a crime did in fact occur? What in the world does “it even turns out” mean in this context? [Paul: Thanks for the comment. The police on the record state that a Hamden officer definitively shot the woman. That is not in dispute. It is a fact. The question was whether other bullets struck her as well; there were allegations to that effect on social media, and we were unable to determine that to be the case. And the police are no longer claiming that there was in fact an attempted armed robbery. The suspect was let go and no charges filed as a result. Those are not editorial comments. Those are the facts that we have confirmed so far. We are not Monday morning quarterbacking who was in the right or what other undetermined facts may or may not be true.]

posted by: CTBatman on April 17, 2019 12:45pm NHPD’s new slogan, “At least we aren’t Hamden PD”

posted by: The Sleeping Giant on April 17, 2019 2:10pm Let’s try this again. At the time the cops pulled over the car, was it based on the report of a robbery; Are you stating that the PD lied to backfill their story the next day; or Are you lamenting that the poor woman got shot and IT TURNS OUT there wasn’t even a robbery. See the nuances there? As a reader, I am trying to understand what the reporter wishes to convey with “it even turns out.” Now you are saying they are no longer claiming there was a robbery. Again, is that the same as the police stated that there was no robbery; no call about a robbery; the state police lied about there being a robbery. Given the tension in our neighborhood, I don’t understand the defensive in asking for an independent reporter to write with more clarity.