WATERBURY, Conn. — The Waterbury State’s Attorney has declared that the use of force used by a group of officers during a stolen car arrest Thursday morning was justified.
This decision came after a video of the incident circulated on social media, with some members of the public upset by what they’re seeing.
“It looked like honestly that was just, it was too excessive. Like, I understand you’re supposed to pin him down, but you have like five, 10 officers, most of them are either bigger than him or about the same size. So, it’s kind of redundant,” said Zachary Vicenza of Waterbury, who came across the video online.
Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski Jr. saw it too and directed the state’s attorney to review it, plus the video from the body-worn cameras of the responding officers.
“At that point, just to be sure we knew what was going on,” Pernerewski Jr. said. “The state’s attorneys determined that the amount of force used was completely appropriate under the circumstances.”
Waterbury police said it all started just before 10:30 a.m. Thursday, when they got a call from a woman who recognized her stolen car near Wolcott Street. Police said in that car was 44-year-old Jose Bellido-Rosado. The woman confronted him and got the car back.
When police caught up with him near the McDonalds, they attempted to arrest him, but they said he resisted. At one point in the body camera video, you can hear one the officers yelling, “Stop reaching for my gun!”
Police said the suspect’s hand made its way to an officer’s gun, pulling off the protective cover of the holster.
“I think if you’re looking at just that one piece of the video, there might be concerns that are raised. But when you see the full extent of the video and you see what was really going on there, I don’t see how you can come to a different conclusion other than the officers acted completely appropriately,” Pernerewski Jr. said.
The mayor said two of the officers walked away with injuries. One of them reports being bit by the suspect.
Police said Bellido-Rosado is a convicted felon and was in possession of a crack pipe at the time of the arrest, with an outstanding warrant.
“Our police officers are out there every day, doing a very difficult, dangerous job. I think this video shows how dangerous that job can be in a matter of seconds. And I just want to commend them for the job they do every day, and particularly in this incident,” Pernerewski Jr. said.
Bellido-Rosado was sent to the hospital with a broken rib and other injuries after the incident. He was arraigned from his hospital bed Friday afternoon, where his bond was set at $350,000. He’s facing the following charges: Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Interfering with an Officer, Assault on a Police Officer (2CTS) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo sent the following statement to FOX61: “The Waterbury Police Department remains committed to proactive enforcement against motor vehicle thefts that endanger our community. Yesterday, our officers responded to a report of a stolen car at 945 Wolcott St. During the arrest, the suspect became combative, injuring two officers while attempting to access one officer's firearm. I commend our officers for their prompt and proficient actions in ensuring the safety of both the public and themselves.”
FOX61 reached out to the Greater Waterbury NAACP. The president responded saying if anyone in the public is interested in understanding the procedure, to reach out to the NAACP of Greater Waterbury Adult Branch at gwnaacp2015b@gmail.com.
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Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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