Police Shot Woman After Chase in Stolen Car in Bridgeport: Police

Connecticut state police are investigating after a Bridgeport police officer shot a woman suspected of leading police on a chase in a stolen car on Sunday, according to state police.

Bridgeport police tried to stop the driver of a 2016 Nissan Sentra at 6:40 p.m. on Sunday because the car was reported stolen out of Bridgeport earlier in the day, but the woman driving led officers on a chase from Bridgeport into Stratford and wouldn’t stop, police said.

The chase finally ended in the parking lot of a junk-hauling business on Seymour Street and the driver, Josephine Cepeda, 26, of Bridgeport, intentionally hit two Bridgeport police cruisers, police said.

An officer fired his department-issued gun and hit Cepeda at least once, according to police.

After a brief struggle, police took Cepeda into custody and she was taken to Bridgeport Hospital.

Her injuries are not life-threatening and no police officers were hurt, according to a news release from police.

State police said the Western District Major Crime unit was called in to investigate around 10 p.m.

Bridgeport Police Chief, Armando "AJ" Perez, defended the officer and said officers are authorized to use in certain cases. 

“I stand firmly behind the actions of the Bridgeport police officers involved in this incident last night. As is our protocol, we refer any incident in which a person is struck by the discharge of a service weapon fired by a Bridgeport police officer for investigation by the local State Attorney and the Connecticut State Police,” Perez said in a statement. “This matter is now under investigation by the office of Bridgeport State Attorney John Smirga and the Connecticut State Police. As such, we can have no further comment on any details related to this matter, pending the outcome of the state investigation.”

Police have not released the name of the Bridgeport police officer.

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