Officer charged in shooting faces judge for first time
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut police officer who opened fire on an unarmed couple's car and wounded a 22-year-old woman faced a judge Monday for the first time since being arrested on felony assault and reckless endangerment charges.
Hamden officer Devin Eaton was arraigned during a brief hearing in New Haven Superior Court. He did not enter a plea and was ordered to return to court Nov. 5.
The shooting in New Haven on April 16 sparked several protests and calls for police officials to fire Eaton, who authorities said shot 13 times at the car after the driver unexpectedly got out while appearing to raise his hands as if to surrender.
The driver, Paul Witherspoon III, was not injured, but his girlfriend, Stephanie Washington, suffered serious injuries including a fractured pelvis and spine. Police found no weapons in their car.
Eaton, who told police he believed the driver had a gun, was placed on leave after the shooting as is policy. The leave was changed from paid to unpaid after he was arrested last week following a prosecutor's determination that his use of deadly force was not justified.
Eaton, who remains free on $100,000 bail, declined to comment after the arraignment.
His lawyer, Gregory Cerritelli, said Monday that he believes the arrest will have a chilling effect on police officers who are forced to make split-second decisions in potentially life-threatening situations.
"Officer Eaton exercised his judgment and discretion and is now facing criminal prosecution," Cerritelli said.
Eaton stopped the couple's car in New Haven because it matched the description of a car linked to a reported attempted armed robbery in Hamden, police said. A gas station clerk had called in the attempted armed robbery but later told police he hadn't see a gun, and surveillance video shows Witherspoon appearing to argue with another man but not robbing him.
A Yale University officer, Terrance Pollock, responded to the traffic stop and fired his gun three times at the car. But New Haven State's Attorney Patrick Griffin said Pollock was justified because he believed Eaton and Witherspoon were exchanging gunfire.
Pollock suffered a graze wound from a bullet fired by Eaton, officials said. Pollock remains on leave pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.
The leader of the state conference of the NAACP has called for the firings of both officers, who are black. Witherspoon and Washington also are black.
