Zoom photo
At Monday's Civilian Review Board meeting.
The Civilian Review Board has concluded that a police search conducted during a February domestic violence response was justified — but that one officer involved acted unprofessionally in his approach.
That determination came during the board’s latest monthly meeting, held in person at City Hall and online via Zoom on Monday. The Civilian Review Board (CRB) provides civilian oversight of investigations into alleged misconduct by New Haven police officers.
The case stems from a Feb. 19 incident in which New Haven police responded to a call from a neighbor reporting loud yelling at an address known for past domestic violence incidents. The neighbor told dispatchers they believed a woman was being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, who was subject to protective orders.
According to Internal Affairs (IA) Lieutenant Jessie Agosto, the first two responding officers were permitted by the woman to enter the home to check on her children. Once inside, they observed a chaotic scene — a toppled bookcase, a moved couch, and a broken picture frame. The woman explained she had been rearranging furniture and had only argued with her ex-boyfriend over the phone. When the officers began searching for the ex-boyfriend, she asked them to leave, and they complied.
A third officer, Endri Dragoi, who had been stationed at the back of the residence, returned to the front door after receiving information that the ex-boyfriend might still be inside. When the woman refused to let him in and asked if he had a warrant, Dragoi responded by saying he would kick in the door and arrest her if she didn’t comply. The woman then allowed him inside, and a further search was conducted. The suspect was not located, and it was later determined he had likely fled out the back.
Lt. Agosto told the board on Monday that the search itself was lawful, given the circumstances and the credible threat posed by the ex-boyfriend’s potential presence.
“Officers had reason to believe the suspect was still on scene,” she said. “The search was justified as a protective search”
However, Internal Affairs found that Officer Dragoi’s conduct during the interaction “could have been approached a bit differently.” His threat to kick in the door and arrest the woman — though technically permissible in the moment — was deemed unnecessarily aggressive. Dragoi was issued a summary action and received verbal counseling on more appropriate methods of de-escalation.
Board members agreed with the findings, emphasizing the importance of reviewing full body camera footage in such cases.
“Reading the complaint, it sounded much more serious,” said CRB Chair AnneMarie Rivera-Berrios . “But once we reviewed the video, it became clear that the situation was more nuanced.”
Ultimately, the board concluded that while the officers’ actions were in line with department policy, the incident highlighted the continued need for communication training and a measured approach, particularly in sensitive domestic violence situations.