HARTFORD, Conn. — While calling for transparency, no agencies involved in Saturday’s deadly police-involved shooting in Hartford will clarify a key question. Were the guns real?
On Wednesday, we learned the suspect who was killed, Shamar Ogman, lived on Gilman Street where the incident occurred. He has a lengthy criminal history. Most recently he was arrested by the Meriden Police Department on December 15th on charges ranging from criminal possession of a firearm to carrying a pistol without a permit.
The dramatic body camera video from Gilman Street in Hartford Saturday night is raising questions. In Hartford’s initial news release, they took great care in describing the weapons recovered as an “assault rifle with a scope, as well as, "a handgun with a flashlight.” They also took great care to say the information is preliminary and subject to change.
Photos of the guns which were taken by the state police were released the following day through the Hartford Police with approval from the state’s attorney in Milford. The questions came rolling in. Are they pellet guns?
"By looking at them they immediately looked a little off, a little wrong," remarked Dom Basile of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League. They say the guns resemble a Glock fully automatic pistol and a SCAR rifle. "Looking at the bolt specifically. The bolt doesn’t look like a proper SCAR bolt which makes perfect sense because it is designed to propel a completely different type of projectile," said Basile.
A similar-looking SCAR rifle airsoft gun with an orange tip can be found online. As for the Glock pistol, "It has the selector on the side which virtually all Glocks do not have," said Basile. "...And it’s missing a rear site which is something that is very uncommon."
FOX61 reached out to the state police, Hartford Police, and the investigating state’s attorney’s office in Milford. No one would confirm if the guns are real or not. Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin did agree to speak with us. "I don’t know, I can’t speak to whether or not they handled them or whether or not they left them to be picked up by state police. What I can say is looking at the picture of those weapons. For anyone encountering someone wielding those weapons you would perceive a very serious threat to the lives of anyone around the area," said the Mayor.
Full interview with Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody:
Mayor Bronin had been calling for transparency. So, why no agency is willing to clarify a key detail is puzzling. Basile said, "We would ask for verification from the police who are in possession of these alleged firearms whether they are legitimate firearms." Mayor Bronin added, "I respect the integrity of the investigation process. But I also think there is tremendous value to our entire community to speed and transparency, so we urge the release of any and all information as quickly as possible."
As Officers approached Ogman's body slumped over a dumpster, you can see the rifle in question. Body camera video of the incident seems to reveal officers questioning the validity of the guns. "I don’t see a magazine in it, but I don’t know," said one officer on the video.
But at night and in the heat of the moment it was hard to tell. After a few minutes Ogman allegedly started pointing the guns at the officers. "Joe what are we doing with this? He’s pointing his gun a lot," said an officer. "Put it down! Put it down! He’s pointing it!" yelled Officer Ashley Martinez before she pulled the trigger.
Mayor Bronin said, "My thoughts are with her right now. Her life changed in an instant...She did what she felt she needed to do to protect the lives of her fellow officers and civilians in the area."
And while unable to answer the question of if the guns are real, Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody did agree to go on the record with FOX61 for an exclusive interview. He explained the actions of his officers once the body camera footage ends, the interaction they had with the weapons and says they've also been getting inquiries on the legitimacy of the guns.
We also learned that Officer Martinez is on paid leave and will be on desk duty when she returns until the Firearms Discharge Review Board votes her back to full duty. A bystander can also be heard on the body camera telling police that Ogman was upset over an incident with the mother of his daughter.
Watch the full police body camera video below:
