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New Haven police officer died of blunt force trauma

His family thanked the community for their support during this "unimaginable heartbreak."

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The New Haven police officer killed during a car crash in Las Vegas early Friday morning, died of blunt force trauma, according to the coroner's in Nevada. This as his family thanked the community for their support during this "unimaginable heartbreak."

35 year old Joshua Castellano, a seven year veteran of the New Haven Police Department, was ejected from the car that included four New Haven officers. The driver, officer Robert Ferraro, 34, now faces criminal charges, including Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and reckless driving. He was released from custody after posting $100,000 bond. Ferraro is due in a Las Vegas courtroom Tuesday morning to formally face the charges.

RELATED: 'We lost another member of our family' | State Police Sgt. Brian Mohl dies in Woodbury floodwaters

A statement from the family of officer Joshua Castellano read as follows:

"Amid our unimaginable heartbreak and grief over the tragic loss of Joshua, we are comforted by the overwhelming love and expressions of support from Joshua’s Police Officer family, his friends and the Yale community. Joshua’s life was a gift, and we are grateful that he could share part of it with his colleagues at the New Haven Police Department and with the countless community members he encountered while proudly serving on the police force. Joshua approached his life and work with unmatched passion and excitement, and his genuine love for people was infectious."
"We hope that others will honor Joshua’s memory by following his excellent example of selfless service to the community. As we pray for strength during this dark time, we will celebrate Joshua’s remarkable life and the light and joy he brought to our lives and the lives of so many."

The news that Castellano had been killed crushed the New Haven Police Department.

"He was just a good kid a solid guy and he’ll be missed by everybody here and it was an honor to know him," said Lt. Justin Marshall, who was Castellano's District Manager for two years in the Hill neighborhood before Castellano joining the New Haven Police Shooting Task Force.

"Speaking with my officers the other night, we sat around and shared stories of him and I don’t think that’s ever going to stop," said Marshall, who added "a piece of our hearts will be gone forever. We can’t replace that but our profession will go on we will overcome this."

In part, due to mental health assistance.

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"In grief we know that it’s a personal process," said Christopher McKee, a retired police captain, who is now a VP for Manchester based Honor Wellness Center, which serves first responders,  military veterans and their families.
"We know that it’s a complicated process and we know that no two people are going to share the same experience," McKee said. "And if you don’t do some to type of wellness, some type of resiliency to take care of yourselves, the bucket spills over and we go into crisis."

McKee said it takes a special person to devote their lives to this line of work.

"There are certainly things in this field that human minds just aren’t built to see or experience," he added.

"He knew everybody to the point that we received a text message from a woman who lived in Westville Manor, his walking beat initially, saying that her heart was broken," said Acting Police Chief Renee Dominguez, who said she was Castellano's first supervisor after he graduated the police academy in 2014.

RELATED: Police, neighbors mourn loss of New Haven officer; bond raised for officer driving in Las Vegas crash.

Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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