Ansonia

Man Dead After Officer-Involved Shooting in Ansonia

Police said the man had a knife and ran toward the officers.

A man is dead after a police-involved shooting on in Ansonia on Thursday night.

Ansonia Police Chief Andrew Cota said during a news conference on Friday morning that a woman arrived at the police department around 7:35 p.m. Thursday and said her boyfriend, who had become physically aggressive, was at the home in violation of a protective order that was issued in November.

Officers responded to the home to speak to the man and take him into custody for violating the protective order and they found him with a knife.   

Cota said the officers tried to get the man to drop the knife, and he refused, so they used a stun gun, but it didn't stop the man and he ran toward officers with the knife.

“Officers made every attempt to create distance between themselves and the unwanted male,” Cota said.

An officer at the scene fired at least one gunshot and struck the male, police said.

Officers provided medical aid and transported the man to Griffin Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cota said. Police have not released the man's name.

The man was the only person at the home. Police said the woman who filed the complaint had stayed at the police department.

According to state police, State Danbury State’s Attorney Steve Sedensky on Thursday asked detectives from the State Police - Western District Major Crime Squad to assume the investigation.

Video from body-worn cameras has been submitted to state police, Cota said.

The officers have been placed on administrative leave amid the investigation, which Cota said is standard procedure.

Police said they had arrested the man on Nov. 16 for a domestic violence incident and the protective order was issued on Nov. 18.    

Authorities called this an isolated domestic incident and said no neighbors were in danger.

Myrtle Avenue is the same street where the mother of a missing baby, Vanessa Morales, was found dead in their home on Dec. 2, but police said this case is not connected to that one.

Vanessa Morales is still missing and an Amber Alert is in effect for information on her.

Anyone with information on where Vanessa is can call the FBI at 203-503-5555, the Ansonia Police Department at 203-735-1885 or through Tip411.whereabouts.

Contact Us