A Windsor police officer mistakenly shot his gun at a suspect instead of using his stun gun in January, according to the Office of the Inspector General.
A Windsor police officer mistakenly shot his gun at a suspect instead of using his stun gun in January, according to the Office of the Inspector General.
The incident took place just after 8:20 p.m. on Jan. 30 near the entrance to Keney Park.
Officer Brandon Thomas was investigating a suspicious vehicle at the Tiger Mart gas station at 160 Windsor Avenue. A 2008 Jeep Liberty Sport was parked at the gas station and had license plate that came back to another vehicle, according to the inspector general.
Thomas also saw a bag of marijuana in the vehicle, according to Windsor police.
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Two people came out of the convenience store and walked towards the SUV. When Officer Thomas questioned them about it, one of the people took off running across the street and into Keney Park.
Officer Thomas chased the suspect and yelled "Stop running or I'm going to ****ing tase you." According to the inspetor general, Officer Thomas then pulled his actual firearm from its holster and fired one shot.
"Oh ****, I didn't mean to do that," Thomas said.
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The incident was captured by Officer Thomas' body-worn camera. The bullet did not hit the suspect and he was eventually taken into custody.
While being arrested, the suspect accused Officer Thomas of shooting at him, which Thomas denied and claimed he had only used his stun gun, the inspector general said.
“In this instance, this is in my opinion, this is a result of his training or lack thereof,” Daniel Maxwell, a lecturer at the University of New Haven and a former police officer, said.
Maxwell said the officer clearly mistakes his gun for his taser and that all officers are trained to tell the difference between their gun and taser, especially since officers typically holster them on opposite sides of their body.
“The idea is police officers should have enough training to be able to distinguish between which of those two options they're going to deploy,” he said.
Former Fairfield police chief Gary MacNamara said it’s rare to see officers mistake their gun for their taser, but it can happen.
In 2021, Daunte Wright was fatally shot by police in Minnesota and the officer was later convicted in the killing.
“These instances of mistaking a taser for a firearm are very could have very tragic results,” MacNamara said.
Maxwell said this shooting highlights the need to give police officers as much consistent training as possible.
“Not only will that reduce problems like this, but it could reduce, you know, insurance premiums and all kinds of things,” he said.
The suspect was charged with interfering with police and possession of a controlled substance.
Officer Thomas was placed on limited duty status pending the outcome of the investigation, according to police.
The Office of the Inspector General is investigating. Windsor police say they are cooperating with the inspector general and the Hartford State's Attorney's Office.
