The trial is underway for a state trooper who has been charged in the death of 19-year-old Mubarak Soulemane in West Haven in 2020 and state prosecutors have rested their case.
State trooper Brian North has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of Soulemane on Jan. 15, 2020, and he has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The defense will call its first witness on Friday and said they will determine if North takes the stand.
On Thursday, Inspector General Robert Devlin called to the stand two members of the state police to testify about what happened when police boxed in Soulemane after a police chase.
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“Do you recall how many shots you heard?" Inspector General Robert Devlin asked Cordell Miller, a witness.
“I don’t, but it was a lot,” Miller responded.
State prosecutors called to the stand two civilian drivers who were on Campbell Avenue in West Haven when police boxed in Soulemane after a police pursuit.
“When I was looking, but like I said, everything happened quickly, I did not see any movement, I did not see the silhouette moving,” witness Jodi Longley said.
Body-worn camera footage shows Trooper North give a description to his superiors after he fired several rounds at Soulemane.
“We both have guns out. The guy is kind of out of it, kind of passed out, the West Haven guy breaks the passenger side window,” North said in the footage.
After the window of the stolen car was shattered, West Haven Police Sergeant Jordan Zwickler and State Trooper Joshua Jackson said they saw Soulemane trying to get something near his waistband area.
“I yelled something along the lines of, 'He’s reaching, he’s reaching, he is moving,'” Zwickler said.
Police said Soulemane displayed a knife and North opened fire.
On Wednesday, the third day of the trial, prosecutors asked Jackson why the troopers did not try to de-escalate.
“Our primary goal at that point was to remove and restrain and handcuff the driver who just led us on a police pursuit,” Jackson said.
The defense argued the state troopers feared for their lives.
“You couldn’t have had an opportunity to de-escalate because, by your own words, you felt you were in imminent fear or danger because there was a clear path between you and that knife that Mr. Soulemane possessed?” defense attorney Frank Riccio said.
“Correct,” Jackson said.
