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Suspect dead in Waterbury police shooting

WATERBURY— One suspect is deceased and an officer is in the hospital after an officer-involved shooting. This Police Involved Shooting stems from an incident th...

WATERBURY— One suspect is deceased and an officer is in the hospital after an officer-involved shooting.

This Police Involved Shooting stems from an incident that occurred within a residence at 81 Craigie Ave., Waterbury.

Preliminary information is that Waterbury Police were dispatched to 81 Craigie Avenue for a welfare check. The home is categorized a duplex home.

The property owner called police stating the neighbor of 81 Craigie Avenue had found a suspected bullet hole in their wall/ceiling.

The arriving police officer met with the resident at 81 Craigie Avenue where a gun was displayed.

An altercation ensued between the Waterbury Officer and the resident and the Waterbury Officer discharged his duty pistol.

Medical services were summoned; however, paramedics on scene pronounced the resident deceased.

Police are not identifying the suspect, but reveal he was a registered gun owner.

The Waterbury Police Chief, Fernando C. Spagnolo said, “We are sad about this incident, we are sad we have to report it to you, we are sad that are community has to go through this and we are certainly feeling sorry for the family of the deceased.”

The New Britain State’s Attorney’s Office and the Connecticut State Police - Central District Major Crime Squad were assigned to investigate.

The Waterbury officers involved did not have body camera. With this being the third fatal officer involved shooting this month, state residents will not see footage similar to that of the body cam footage displayed in Ansonia and West Haven incidents.

The ACLU’s Executive director, David McGuire sent out a tweet that says, “We aren't even three weeks into the year and this is the third person to die at the hands of police in 2020. Police violence is a pandemic in Connecticut. THIS MUST END.”

Neighbors and police say the home of the deceased resident was known to police citing multiple occasions over the years where police came by the home.

The next door neighbor of that resident, Eileen Neves, said, “He was a good guy and he just, I don’t know if he got in with the wrong crowd, even though he is older, but it’s just terrible.”

This investigation is in the early stages and ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Central District Major Crime Squad at 860-706-5656.

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