In the wake of five gunfire incidents, including three shootings over four days, police swarmed into Newhallville on a “crime suppression” mission — and the neighborhood’s former top cop returned on some unfinished business.
The string of incidents began on Thursday. Police found six shell casings on Lilac Street shortly before 3 p.m. Seven hours later gunfire rang out again at the same spot. This time two officers, Scott Shumway and Jeremie Elliott, acting on a tip from a neighbor, found the gun in a backyard. On Friday police found a man shot six times on Lilac; while they were on the scene a woman drove up to report she had been shot in her car nearby just over the Hamden line, in her arm and her breast. (Her injuries proved minor. The first victim’s condition was upgraded from critical to stable.) Then, at 7 p.m. Sunday, a 17-year-old man was shot in the chest at West Read and Watson.
None of the shootings was fatal.
Police responded Monday by flooding that stretch of northern Newhallville with officers, including two motorcycle cops, for a preventive “suppression detail.” They stopped people repeatedly for questioning and generally made their presence felt. Click on the play arrow to watch part of one stop, when two officers hopped out of a cruiser to issue warning tickets to three young men who had ridden their bicycles on the sidewalk.
Sgt. Al Vazquez, who heads New Haven police’s investigative division, said police believe the shootings are related. They have made one arrest and have a suspect in a second, he said.
The arrest was made by Assistant Chief Thaddeus Reddish.
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Reddish (pictured) used to be an omnipresence on those neighborhood streets when he served as Newhallville district manager. Since his promotion to assistant chief in March, he works out of headquarters at 1 Union Ave.
He was there around 2 p.m. when he wandered into a meeting of top cops about the string of Newhallville shootings. He recognized the names of suspects; he’d tussled with them, worked with them, even taken some of them to a ballgame, during his stint as district manager.
“I got a little bit annoyed” hear about them causing trouble, he said.
Especially when he heard that a 20-year-old known as “Eggy” was believed to be “part of a group that’s been terrorizing the neighborhood,” Reddish learned.
Reddish hopped in a car to drive back to Newhallville to find him.
He had a passenger, a management consultant hired by the department to do a study.
Reddish hit West Read Street and immediately saw a teen he knows standing outside a house.
“Long time, Chief,” the teen said.
“I heard you’re acting up again,” Reddish said he responded.
“No, no, not me. I don’t get in trouble.”
Reddish looked up — and saw Eggy on the front porch of the house.
Eggy bolted inside. Then he came back out with a bag of clothes.
Reddish told Eggy his “criminal activity was not appreciated.”
“We are not going to allow it,” he recalled telling him.
“OK, all right,” he said Eggy responded.
“You understand what I’m telling you? You’re out of control.”
Reddish drove away, checked in with Assistant Chief Archie Generoso.
“I just saw Eggy on West Read Street,” he reported.
“He’s got a warrant! Grab him!” Generoso responded.
Turns out that Eggy was wanted for violation of probation on a felony weapons charge. He also has threatening, assault, disorderly conduct, and interfering charges pending from two June arrests.
So Reddish turned around, drove back to the house. He saw Eggy enter the rear of an SUV. He followed the SUV to Bassett and Sherman, where the SUV pulled over. Eggy got out. Reddish exited his car, too, ordered Eggy to the ground. He called for back-up, put Eggy in handcuffs.
Eggy was arrested on the probation violation. More charges may be forthcoming as police continue trying to regain control of the Shelton-West Read corridor.
You can take Reddish out of the hunt, but you cannot take the hunt of Reddish -- or maybe you cannot even take him out of the hunt.