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State police Tuesday afternoon released video from the camera worn by a Hamden police officer as he fired bullets at two unarmed people in a car in New Haven’s Newhaville neighborhood.
It showed the officer firing directly into the passenger window of the car. Meanwhile, the state’s police commissioner revealed that Hamden failed to notify New Haven police that an officer was crossing into town to confront a suspect and that a Yale police officer who also fired his gun did not turn on his body camera.
The release took place during a press conference at state police headquarters in Middletown about an investigation into the April 16 incident, which has attracted national attention.
Watch the officer’s body cam video at the top of this story, as well as the full press conference.
Between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on April 16, Hamden officer Devin Eaton pursued an attempted armed robbery complaint across town lines into Newhallville. (Click here for a story that includes an exclusive interview with the gas station attendant who called in the complaint; he claims he never saw a gun, only the simulation of one, which is different from what he told the 911 emergency phone operator.)
Eaton and Yale Officer Terrance Pollack boxed in a red Honda Civic at Dixwell Avenue and Argyle Street. They fired at least 16 or more bullets into the car, in which an unarmed young couple was trapped. Passenger Stephanie Washington was struck by a bullet and went to the hospital for torso and facial injuries. The driver, Paul Witherspoon III, intends to file suit against the town and Yale, according to his lawyer. (Above is a second video released Tuesday: from a surveillance camera on Argyle Street.)
The state police and state’s attorney’s office launched in an investigation, which was the subject of Tuesday afternoon’s press conference.
The video includes the same scene at three speeds. It shows Officer Eaton firing initial shots at the driver as he exits the car. Then the officer runs to the passenger side of the car and fires directly into the window.
State Police Commissioner James C. Rovella conducted the press conference. He noted that the release of the officer body camera video Tuesday marked “a difference in operating procedures. Before we used to not show any of this until the conclusion of the investigation.” He also released two surveillance camera videos, including the above recording from Dixwell Avenue at the corner of Argyle Street.
At the press conference, Rovella began by playing the recording of the original 911 call from the gas station attendant, named Aziz, who reported that a man with “long dreads” had “pulled a gun” on a regular customer in an attempted robbery. Aziz provided the license plate for the Honda Civic in which the alleged thief had fled toward Arch Street. He also mentioned that a woman was in the car.
(Days later, Aziz (he declined to give his last name) told the Independent that Witherspoon put his hand underneath his shirt, and pointed at the newspaper deliveryman as if he had a gun. He said Witherspoon was with Washington. “They didn’t have no gun on them,” he said.)
Rovella then played audio recordings from the Hamden 911 dispatchers, who put out a BOLO (“be on the lookout” notice) for what she described as a robbery with a gun.
Thomas Breen Photo
State Police Commissioner James C. Rovella at Tuesday’s press conference.
After playing the 911 call, Rovella then shared audio recordings from the Hamden 911 dispatchers, who put out a BOLO (“be on the lookout” notice) for what she described as a robbery with a gun.
Rovella revealed that Hamden neglected to offer New Haven essential information in the ensuing moments: “Hamden tells New Haven that, in fact, they’ve had an armed robbery involving a firearm. They did not tell New Haven that Hamden was actually entering their city.”
He also revealed that Yale officer Pollack “did not click on” his body camera until “so late in the event” that “the recall did not show any of the shooting. We have no camera footage from the Yale officer.” Pollack’s cruiser dash cam was also not on.
Pollack also left his vehicle in drive as he ran to the scene, which caused his car to collide with the Honda Civic. (You can watch that happen in Dixwell Avenue video above in this story.)
After that report, Rovella played a segment of Hamden Officer Eaton’s video at three speeds.
Eaton did not click on his body camera until after the encounter. As a result, no audio was available for the first 16 seconds. The video released Tuesday was drawn from a “recall” function on the camera.
“In a perfect world, he would have turned on his camera sooner,” Rovella said. But he noted the many “stressors” the officer faced at the time.
The first audio heard on the video is the officer reporting, “Shots fired on Argyle Street!” as driver Witherspoon opens his door.
Eaton moves to the passenger side and continues firing at the passenger window, where Stephanie Witherspoon was seated.
Hamden cop Devin Eaton; Yale cop Terrance Pollock.
The commissioner said he would not release video footage coverage after “the initial shooting” because “that is part of our investigatory process.”
The commissioner reported that he waited until police conducted a search of the car to release the video.
“We did not find a gun” in the car during the search, he confirmed.
“I have no intention of charging the officers” until the ongoing investigation is completed, Rovella said.
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Official timeline distributed at Tuesday’s press conference.
Yale Officer Pollack was also injured in the incident. Rovella said Tuesday that it appears he was hit by a “projectile” from Eaton’s gun.
Rovella said he could not disclose how many times Stephanie Washington was hit. He also said the police do not yet have “good information” from the officers about “what they were thinking.”
Witherspoon has given an interview to the police, Rovella said.
“I have concerns about many different aspects of how this case was handled,” the commissioner said.
Also Tuesday, the state NAACP called for the FBI to take over the investigation. “Everyone’s been watching these situations happen across the state since the early 2000s,” NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile told the Independent. “There have been numerous situations across the state. Every time we get the same answer [with] the police exonerated. We need the Justice Department to definitely take a look at these two situations. The reckless endangerment and uncontrolled law enforcement is outrageous. We need another set of eyes.
“It’s open season for black and brown people by law enforcement in Connecticut.”
Rovella said he didn’t see a need for the feds to come in.. “The state police are the most qualified people” to conduct the investigation, he argued.
Update: On Wednesday, Hamden police spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith distributed information about body camera video. He quoted the following department policy: “When placed in Event Mode, the Taser Axon Body records audio and visual data. The previous 30 seconds of buffered video is also saved.” With regards to “Buffering Mode”, department policy states, “The Taser Axon Body continuously loops video recording for a 30 second period. No audio is recorded while buffering.”
Smith added: “Our policy states that officer shall activate their body camera at the inception of an interaction with the public in a law enforcement capacity. Our policy states, ‘Interacting with the public in a law enforcement capacity means that a police officer is in personal contact with one or more members of the public, the purpose of which is to conduct a self-initiated investigation into, or to respond to a third party complaint involving the possible commission of any offense, violation or infraction.’ The policy further states in bold lettering, ‘At no time shall police officers disregard officer safety or the safety of the public for the purpose of activating or utilizing the body-warn camera.’”
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Transcript of original 911 call.
Press corps Tuesday at state police HQ.
Previous coverage of this case:
• Hamden Cop Shoots Woman In Newhallville
• Protesters Storm PD Seeking Answers In Officer-Involved Shooting; Officials Mum
• Cop Who Shot Was Trained In New Haven
• Shot-At Man Plans To File Suit; Clerk Describes Original Complaint
• Outrage Over Shooting Shuts Down Streets
• Elicker: Remove Griffin From Shooting Probe
• Post-Shooting, Focus On Suburban Cops
• Griffin Obtains Search Warrant For Shot-Up Honda; Harp Stands By Griffin
• Top Yale Cops Seek To Rebuild Trust
• Public Seeks Independent Probe
• Farmer Backs Independent Investigation
Not good.