WEST HAVEN, Conn. — The Connecticut Office of the Inspector General released information and police body camera footage of a fatal police shooting that happened in West Haven on Sept. 19.
Jebrell Conley, 36, of New Haven, was killed after Connecticut State Police Sgt. Colin Richter, New Haven Police Sergeant Francisco Sanchez and New Haven Police Officer Michael Valente shot him outside the Splash Car Wash on Boston Post Road, the report said.
New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson said in an update Monday that Sanchez, a 12-year NHPD veteran and Valente, an 11-year NHPD veteran, are on paid administrative leave until police hear back from the Inspector General office.
At 5 p.m. on Sept. 19, the New Haven Police Department Violent Crime Task Force learned that Conley, who had an outstanding arrest warrant on federal robbery and related gun charges, was driving in the area of Ella Grasso Boulevard in a black Hyundai Tucson.
Jacobson said in a report that Conley was a known member of the violent New Haven street gang Grape Street Crips and was on federal probation with an extensive criminal history.
The Task Force knew Conley from previous contact with him, according to the report.
Officers tracked Conley using his license plate to the Splash Car Wash, where they found him standing outside of the Hyundai, the report said.
As officers closed in on Conley with their vehicles, he entered the Hyundai, the report said. Body camera video shows the officers exiting their cars and surrounding the Hyundai, telling Conley to "not move" and to "get out of the vehicle."
Jacobson noted that 11 officers were on scene, including seven from NHPD.
Conley put the Hyundai in reverse and hit a police car behind him, Jacobson said. He then allegedly pointed a gun at officers and appeared to fire a gunshot that shattered the car's front side window.
Videos released by the Office of the Inspector General show Richter, Sanchez and Valente firing at Conley, hitting him multiple times, according to the report.
One of the officers' body cameras shows Conley fall out of the Hyundai onto the ground, as well as a firearm. Officers provided medical treatment and "immediately radioed" for an ambulance and the New Haven Fire Department to respond, before a crew brought him to Yale New Haven Hospital where he died, Chief Jacobson said.
On Sept. 20, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of Conley's death to be "gunshot wounds of torso and upper right extremity" and was ruled a homicide.
There were no reported injuries to officers.
Investigators recovered a gun with a high capacity magazine where Conley had fallen, the report said. An inspection of the gun showed that it jammed after a single round.
Jacobson noted that the gun was stolen out of Waterbury.
Both Chief Jacobson and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said that the officers appeared to use "appropriate force" during the situation.
"It was very brave what they did," Jacobson said, noting that the officers "had to fire to prohibit themselves from being shot or anyone else in the immediate area."
He added that they "definitely stuck with their training," noting that the when the Hyundai backed up into the police car, "they don't fire, [Conley] points a weapon at [the officers], they don't fire, he fires a weapon and then only three fire. Because the three that fire saw the threat and saw directly what was going on. The other officers that weren't in a position to fire didn't fire."
The investigation was assumed by the Office of the Inspector General. Mayor Elicker said it could last nine months or a year.
Chief Jacobson said after the original shooting incident, police received reports about threats made by Crips members to call in other members from New Jersey to "do harm to our officers."
He said that while they doubled up their officers to make sure that they are safe, no credibility to the threats were found.
Conley's brother allegedly told Jacobson that there was no message to hurt any officers.
Chief Jacobson expressed condolences to Conley's family.
Links to video from a witness, along with video from officers' body-worn cameras can be found below.
Warning - videos are disturbing and contain offensive language:
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