DANBURY — A Connecticut prosecutor says there is no evidence of a cover-up by police who investigated an attorney’s death that was ruled a suicide.
Danbury State’s Attorney Stephen Sedensky the Third released a statement today in response to a lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday by the lawyer’s family. Sedensky says his office is still investigating the death.
Relatives of Gugsa “Abe” Dabela, 35, allege police in the mostly white town of Redding rushed to judgment in declaring the death a suicide and didn’t properly investigate because Dabela was black. The NAACP has been involved in the investigation.
Dabela was found shot in the head in an overturned vehicle near his Redding home two years ago.
Dabela’s family says many questions remain, including why his DNA wasn’t found on the trigger of a handgun found at the crash scene.
Here is the full statement from Sedensky III:
The Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Danbury is continuing its investigation into the tragic death of Gugsa Dabela in April 2014 in Redding. This investigation is being conducted with the full cooperation and assistance of the Redding Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. We again express our sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Dabela on their loss.
Although the investigation is not yet complete, it has revealed no evidence of any conspiracy on the part of the Redding Police Department. The Redding Police Department has cooperated fully with the Office of the State’s Attorney and the State Police throughout this investigation, as well as cooperating with the forensic expert retained by the Dabela family in 2014.
