Paul Bass Photo
Capt. Anthony Duff Thursday with Det. Kealyn Nivakoff; Troy Clark’s cousin, Amy Ramirez, mother, Josephine Clark; & sister, Veronica Clark.
Two years after a gunman shot a 46-year-old man to death and almost killed a police captain on a Dixwell block, police announced they’ve arrested the shooter.
Officials announced the arrest of the alleged shooter, a 59-year-old New Haven man, at a press conference held Thursday afternoon on the third floor of police headquarters at 1 Union Ave.
Interim Chief Renee Dominguez said police obtained a warrant for the man’s arrest and then served it behind bars, where the man was imprisoned on an unrelated parole violation charge.
The man has been charged with murder, felony murder, robbery, first-degree assault, and criminal firearms possession. He is being held on $2 million bail. In an unrelated case, he pleaded guilty in 2015 to first-degree armed robbery.
Led by Detective Kealyn Nivakoff, police pieced together the case through painstaking work with many people in the community who could confirm different facts relevant to the case, Dominguez said.
She said Clark’s fatal shooting was connected to a street robbery.
Veronica Clark thanks police, as Mayor Justin Elicker looks on.
Joining officials at the press conference were survivors of Troy Clark, the 46-year-old man shot to death at Dixwell Avenue and Henry Street that night of Aug. 12, 2019; and retired Capt. Duff, who was off duty and on his way home when he got shot trying to stop Clark’s murder. Duff drew his gun but did not fire it before Clark’s killer fired at him and hit him. Duff’s dramatic recovery after ten days in the hospital inspired the city. (Read more about his journey here.)
Clark’s sister Veronica spoke for the family at Thursday’s press conference. (Click here to watch it.)
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she told the police. “It doesn’t bring back Troy. But I can honestly say I am at a closure. Now I can rest at night knowing that you guys took the time to get a murderer off the streets of Connecticut.”
Duff appeals for community to help solve other cases.
Duff, who retired four months ago, thanked the officers who worked on his case along with the community for its support.
And he turned to the Clark family. “I wish,” he told them, “I could have done more to save Mr. Clark.”
“I saw a person die. I’ll never be able to forget the image,” he recalled.
Duff echoed Chief Dominguez’s point about how community members were crucial to helping police solve the case and bring closure to victims and families. He urged peoplewith information about other homicides to come forward with information. “There’s no statute of limitations on homicide,” he noted.
While reading this story I clicked on the video link of the press conference. (Thank you Paul for doing so.) I have never met Captain Duff or any member of the Clark family. The kindness in their hearts while speaking to the press was something special to see.