Contributed Photo
Sean Reeves.
“O” was riding his bike on Kensington Street when “Bon G” called out to him: “Stop fucking looking over here.” O said “Fuck off” and kept riding.
Twenty minutes later, he was jumped, bullets flew, and a 16-year-old lay dying in the street.
That’s the story O told cops on Friday night at the police station, following his arrest for the death of 16-year-old Sean Reeves, according to a police report prepared by Detective Kristine Cuddy.
Reeves was shot and killed on the evening of Aug. 10, during a brawl at George and Day streets.
The police investigation indicates that O may have fired the fatal bullet, although he was arraigned on Monday morning only on charges of criminal use of a firearm, reckless endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm, and having a pistol without a permit. O was held on bail of $500,000.
Another man, known as Bon G, was arrested Friday in connection with the incident. He’s accused of firing gunshots during the melee.
Police arrested O, who’s 25, on Friday night in a Milford motel. His subsequent conversation with police, as recorded in Detective Cuddy’s report, offers one version of the events immediately preceding the Aug. 10 shooting death.
Here’s what police discovered, according to the report:
On Friday night, police learned that O was holed up in Room 218 at a Super 8 motel on Rt. 1 in Milford. With the help of Milford cops, O was taken into custody without incident.
At 10:24 p.m., Detective Cuddy and Nicole Natale met with O, who signed a Miranda Waiver. O then said that 20 minutes before he was jumped, he was riding his bike on Kensington Street when he exchanged the choice words with Bon G.
O said he was jumped in front of a store by a group of guys, who punched him and kicked him and hit him with objects. “At one point [O] had had another male in a headlock and was able to wrestle a black handgun away from the unknown subject.” O was able to break free from the group and ran down George Street towards Day. He heard gun shots and feared for his life.
“He stated in order to keep the crowd away from him long enough to escape he had to fire shots toward the crowd that had attacked him,” Cuddy wrote. “He believed he was shooting over the heads of the crowd. [O] stated that he did not mean to shoot anybody and was sorry that someone had list their life.”
O then dropped the gun near the corner of Day Street and kept running into the Waverly Street Townhouses and into the home of an elderly woman he knows.
Another report prepared by Detective Cuddy details how police caught up to O and Bon G by interviewing witnesses. By reviewing surveillance footage, Officer David Zannelli was able to identify several people involved in the fight, including O being attacked and Bon G firing a gun.
Police acquired warrants and searched the last known addresses of both O and Bon G at 9:45 p.m. on Thursday Aug. 11. Later that night, at 11:15 p.m., Bon G contacted cops and said he wanted to talk. He arrived at the station before midnight, signed a Miranda Waiver, and spoke with Detectives Cuddy and Natale.
According to Cuddy’s report:
Bon G told the detectives he had been walking to Cecila’s Delim Mart on George Street to fight O for “being disrespectful” earlier that day. He approached the story accompanied by “several young boys,” including Sean Reeves. Also with them was Bon G’s little brother, known as Relly. The group ran up to O and started beating him.
O was slammed into a window at Viette’s Beauty Salon, shattering the glass. Then he broke free, ran away, pulled out a gun, and began to fire into the crowd.
Bon G “stated he felt responsible to protect the younger boys who were being shot at … and pulled out his .22 caliber nickel plated handgun and returned fire.”
O is due back in court on Aug. 30.
Click here to read a story about a fundraiser for the Reeves family this past weekend. See Sean Reeves’ obituary further down in this story.
Franco Arraigned
In another Monday morning court appearance, a man named Wilfredo Franco was arraigned following his Friday arrest for leading cops on a chase, striking a cop car, and injuring a lieutenant. Franco was ordered held on a bail of $1,250,000.
Meanwhile, the Register reported that Franco’s family accused cops of beating him after he was handcuffed.
According to police reports on file in court:
The Friday arrest began when police investigated a report of shots fired that evening. They found the suspect for that crime, Franco, was also the man they sought in connection with a July 23 shooting. Police closed in on Franco later Friday evening at Grand Cafe and set up a perimeter.
Officer Leonardo Soto was part of that perimeter, and gave chase when Franco tried to flee in a black Honda Accord. The chase ended when Franco’s car his Lt. Luis Casanova’s cruiser, “causing the vehicle to do a complete 180 degree turn,” Soto wrote in his report.
Franco’s car crashed and he tried to flee on foot. Officer Soto and another officer caught up with him and struggled with him when he refused to cooperate. Franco, who was wanted on weapons charges, refused to take his left arm off his waistband, after his right arm was handcuffed, Soto wrote. “At this time, Franco was struck several times with a closed fist to his left arm and back while being ordered to release his hand from his left waistband. … I continued to strike Franco with a closed fist.”
Police found a black revolver in the Honda Accord.
Sean Reeves Obituary
Sean Jermaine Reeves Jr., 16, an honor student and basketball star at Hyde Leadership High School in New Haven, CT passed unexpectedly from a gunshot wound that was not intended for him. He leaves behind, Mother Velencia Smith, Father Sean J. Reeves Sr., Great Grandmother Mary Reaves, Grandmothers, Sheila Smith and Mary Reeves, Grandfather Frank Smith, Brothers, Tyshan Smith and Ayden Reeves, Sisters Quintaisja Harrison and Madison Robinson, Uncles Quincy Reeves and Karlef Smith, Aunt Regina Reaves, 3 great uncles, 5 great aunts, many cousins, family members and friends. A celebration of his life will take place on Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 10 a.m. at St Paul’s U.A.M.E. Church, 150 Dwight St., New Haven, CT 06511 with calling hours from 8 – 10 a.m. Interment will be in Beaverdale Memorial Park. Service by Howard K. Hill Funeral Service, 1287 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Messages of comfort: www.hkhfuneralservices.com
My Heart & Prayers go out to the Smith and Reeves Family. I always become overwhelmed when I hear of yet another Childs Life is Lost to this Senseless Violence.All the Emotions I still hold in me begin to flood my mind once more. I ask Myself and God when will this Hate End. And our children come to Love Each Other Once Again. Once again My Heart & Prayers go out to the Family. May God Keep you All.