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Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Connecticut Office of Inspector General Identifies Man Killed in Officer-Involved Shooting

The Connecticut Office of Inspector General has identified the individual who was killed during an officer-involved shooting earlier this week. The incident occurred following a police pursuit that originated in Bridgeport and came to an end when the suspect crashed into a residence in Ansonia.

Inspector General Robert J. Devlin has released a preliminary report on the shooting, revealing that 41-year-old Jonathan Mark Lewis Bell lost his life during the encounter. The report indicates that three Bridgeport police officers, namely Sgt. Chris Robinson and Officers Mathew Hoffman and Wilberto Rivera-Colon, were involved in the shooting.

According to the report, the Bridgeport Police Department’s Tactical Narcotics Team received information about Bell, stating that he possessed weapons and narcotics and was driving around the Bridgeport area in various vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz SUV.

Officers conducting surveillance in the Oak Street area spotted Bell in an SUV with a female passenger and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. However, Bell evaded the officers and led them on a pursuit through Bridgeport, eventually reaching Route 8 North. The pursuit concluded in Ansonia when Bell exited Route 8 and crashed into a porch on Division Street.

Footage from both body cameras and dashboard cameras worn by the officers involved in the incident revealed the sequence of events. The footage shows multiple officers using their vehicles to surround Bell’s car after the crash. With their guns drawn, they can be heard instructing Bell to raise his hands and show them. At one point, an officer can be heard mentioning the presence of a gun, although the preliminary report does not indicate whether a firearm was recovered at the scene.

During the encounter, an officer is seen using a window punch on the driver’s side window, while another officer forcibly removes a female passenger from the vehicle. Several shots are then heard, followed by a brief pause before a single additional shot is fired.

After the shooting, officers continue to demand that Bell raise his hands while waiting for medical assistance to arrive. Despite their efforts, Bell succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at Griffin Hospital in Derby at 6:44 p.m.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and determined that Bell’s cause of death was gunshot wounds to his head and torso. The medical examiner’s report classified the death as a homicide.

While awaiting the results of a toxicology report, Inspector General Devlin’s office is conducting an investigation to determine whether the officers’ use of deadly force was justified. The investigation is being assisted by the Connecticut State Police’s Central District Major Crime Squad, the Milford Judicial District State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Ansonia and Bridgeport Police Departments.

In adherence to the state’s police accountability law, the officers involved in the shooting will be assigned modified duties within the chief’s office until the completion of the investigation, as per department protocol stated by Bridgeport police Capt. Kevin Gilleran.

Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter expressed confidence in the Office of the Inspector General’s ability to conduct a comprehensive, transparent, and impartial investigation. He extended his deepest condolences to the deceased’s family.

Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim, in a joint statement with Chief Porter, also offered condolences to the family and assured residents that the Bridgeport Police Department is committed to maintaining a safe environment through the fair and just enforcement of the law. Mayor Ganim expressed trust in the Office of the Inspector General’s investigation, expecting it to provide complete transparency regarding the incident.

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1. “Man killed in CT officer-involved shooting, releases footage”
2. “IG ID’s man killed in CT officer-involved shooting, releases footage”.