The Office of the Inspector General has released police body camera footage of a shooting last week that involved a New Britain officer and injured a 17-year-old. The New Britain Police Department received calls regarding shots fired on Union Street around 2:54 p.m. on Wednesday. When officers arrived, they found numerous spent shell casings in the street and bullet holes on the outside of a home.
About nine minutes later, police received another 911 call reporting two masked men acting suspiciously near the TD Bank on Main Street. Four officers responded and attempted to stop them near the Red Roof Inn, but both men ran. The officers chased the suspects in their vehicle and on a bicycle until they began pursuing the two men on foot.
The pursuit ended in a parking lot on Herald Square, where one of the fleeing suspects, a 17-year-old boy from New Britain, fired a gunshot at an officer, who was not injured. The officer returned fire, striking the teen several times. A handgun and a spent shell casing were recovered next to where the teen fell.
The teen has been charged with criminal attempt at assault in the first degree, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, and other offenses. The body camera footage of one of the officers shows him falling off his bicycle before tackling and taking the second suspect into custody.
A handgun equipped with a high-capacity magazine was recovered from the second suspect, who was identified as an 18-year-old from New Britain. The second suspect is charged with illegal possession of a firearm, possession of a high-capacity magazine, interfering with an officer, and other offenses.
Original reporting: NBC Connecticut — read the source article.
