Hamden Officer Arrested; Yale Officer Not Charged; State Investigation Published

The state Division of Criminal Justice made that announcement Tuesday morning in two press releases regarding Eaton’s arrest and State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin’s investigation into the April 16 shooting.

The releases represent the culmination of <a href=“https://www.newhavenindependen…”>a months-long investigation by Griffin’s office</a> into the officer-involved shooting, in which <a href=“https://www.newhavenindependen…”>Eaton and Yale Police Department Officer Terrance Pollock fired a total of 16 bullets at the couple, Paul Witherspoon and Stephanie Washington</a>, in the early hours of April 16 on Argyle Street near Dixwell Avenue.

Eaton, 29, who fired 13 of those shots, including the ones that struck and injured Washington and sent her to the hospital, has been charged with one felony count of first-degree assault and two misdemeanor accounts of first-degree reckless endangerment. He has been released on $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in New Haven Superior Court on Oct. 28.

Pollock, who fired three of those shots, all in response to Eaton’s initial blasts and none of which injured anyone involved, has not been arrested or charged.

Even if an argument can be made that the initial shot fired at Witherspoon was reasonable because Officer Eaton believed that Witherspoon held something in his hand,” Griffin wrote in his recommendation that Eaton be arrested, it was not objectively reasonable for Officer Eaton to continue to move around the red Honda Civic while firing his weapon into the passenger compartment — particularly in light of the fact that, by his own admission, Officer Eaton was aware of Washington’s presence.”

Under circumstances evincing an extreme indifference to human life,” Griffin continued, he recklessly engaged in conduct which created a risk of death, and thereby caused serious physical injury to Washington. Additionally, the reckless manner in which the shots were discharged placed those in the immediate vicinity, including Paul Witherspoon and Officer Pollock, at risk for serious physical injury.”

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