by | Jul 23, 2021 12:16 pm | Comments (7)
Paul Bass Photo
Deescalation Duo: Officers Rich Simons and Heidi at HQ.
A distress call came in from a medical office: A patient was getting “vocal.” They needed help.
Specifically, they needed the newest deescalation cop on the force.
by | Mar 23, 2020 1:25 pm | Comments (1)
Sam Gurwitt Photo
Officer Kevin Blanco advises Yolanda Santiago, from a distance, to stay safe from the coronavirus.
At around 6:15 p.m., Mayor Justin Elicker’s voice moved west with the speed of traffic on Grand Avenue.
The driver broadcasting that voice message was also following the mayor’s advice on stemming the spread of covid-19.
by | Jan 30, 2020 2:09 pm | Comments (19)
Paul Bass Photo
The man brandished a knife. He charged at Officer Jason Santiago.
Santiago had his gun out. He knew he might have to pull the trigger. But first he tried another idea.
by | Dec 24, 2019 7:53 am | Comments (8)
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Lt. Manmeet Colon greets Capt. Duff at Dec. 11 “Signal 4” Van Dome fundraising party.
New Haven will always be grateful that Anthony Duff followed his own advice in 2019. Otherwise he might not have made it to 2020, on the cusp of reporting back to work at the police department.
by | Aug 23, 2019 1:29 pm | Comments (5)
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Osvaldo Garcia, at right, with rookies Marlena Ofiara and Jake Wright.
Jake Wright watched Officer Osvaldo Garcia finish questioning a witness about a stolen gun. He recognized the last question — because Garcia had asked it already.
by | Aug 9, 2019 1:35 pm | Comments (23)
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Officers Brandon Way and Donald White had to make an instant decision — to shoot or not to shoot — in a dark parking lot.
Two bits of advance work helped them keep everyone safe without pulling a trigger: Way knew his way around the parking lot. And Officer David Santiago and his partner knew a man across town who watches his block — and likes to talk football.
by | Jun 27, 2019 4:48 pm | Comments (4)
Courtesy photo
Shayna Kendall with SCSU officer Kim Clare at the training.
When 16 female cops and soldiers assembled to brush up on their firearms training, they learned about alternative techniques and safe gun-carrying from the state’s first-ever black woman to be certified for the task.
by | Jun 7, 2019 1:14 pm | Comments (24)
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Officers Kyle Listro and Joseph Perrotti.
Tinted windows? Looked suspicious.
Wafting weed smell? Not necessarily a problem.
The driver’s hands start trembling? Now this looked like more than a run-of-the-mill traffic stop.
by | Apr 19, 2019 1:58 pm | Comments (9)
Markeshia Ricks Photos
Officers Perrotti and Dash at 1 Union Ave.
Dash’s spare tourniquet that he uses to practice.
Officer Joseph Perrotti and another officer were at the District 4 substation on Edgewood Avenue wrapping up their work on a domestic violence incident when Perrotti heard gunshots.
by | Feb 19, 2019 8:51 am | Comments (6)
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Determined special victims cops Lt. Renee Dominguez, Detective Leonardo Soto, Sgt. Mary Helland.
A serial rapist was preying on prostitutes on New Haven’s west end. The cops couldn’t get any leads on him. Until one of his alleged victims turned on her new phone — and saw her attacker’s face pop up in her Google Cloud photos.
by | Feb 6, 2019 6:07 pm | Comments (38)
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Officer Vanessa Thompson and Detective Omaida Nieves at tourniquet training Wednesday.
Officer Gregory Dash saw bright red blood flowing from the leg of a shot man on a Newhallville porch. So he reached to the left side of his duty belt to retrieve the police department’s latest weapon of choice.
by | Jun 15, 2018 3:50 pm | Comments (14)
Officer Doug Pearse thought he and his partner still had a “50 – 50” chance to rescue a suicidal woman at East Rock’s summit. Then she stood up at the precipice of a rock and bent her knees above a deadly drop.
by | Mar 16, 2018 1:50 pm | Comments (13)
Paul Bass Photo
Officers Matt Stevens and Jocelyn Lavandier: Restrain & detain.
The man ran from the cops, through traffic, to the edge of the bridge. He was out of control. He turned, grabbed a dark object from his waist, pointed it directly at an officer.
“Shoot me!” he cried. “Shoot me!”
by | Dec 22, 2017 1:05 pm | Comments (0)
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Detectives Jess Stone and Mike DeFonzo.
No single surveillance video led Detectives Mike DeFonzo and Jessica Stone to a serial bank robber. A series of video clips helped point the way.
by | Dec 1, 2017 1:24 pm | Comments (0)
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Fire-cop partners Saracco and Torre in arson squad van.
Alex had a story to tell about a guy who was bragging about how he “should have finished” what he “started.” Mike Torre couldn’t wait to hear it.
by | Nov 17, 2017 2:20 pm | Comments (0)
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Contributed Photo
The scene at 425 Howard.
Smoke was filling the apartment. The man inside seemed confused about what to do — until Sgt. Yessennia Agosto appeared at his door and declared: “Viste el fuego! Tenemos que salir ahora!”
by | Nov 3, 2017 1:41 pm | Comments (5)
Paul Bass Photo
Officer Natalie Crosby was sitting in her parked cruiser at 3:45 a.m. writing a report on an arrest when a call came over the radio: Thieves had just stolen a black 2001 Mercedes Benz ML 430 and a 2016 Nissan Altima from a home on Russell Street.
by | Jun 30, 2017 8:16 am | Comments (8)
Paul Bass Photo
Gabe Canestri Jr. at Hole in the Wall with the family Harley …
… and in action.
An already legendary 22-year-old stunt rider involved in controversial mass rides promised to keep doing wheelies and drifts and tire melts with his buddies on asphalt — but no longer on city streets.
by | Mar 17, 2017 1:58 pm | Comments (3)
Paul Bass Photos
Accident reconstruction gumshoes DuPont and Dell.
In the post-midnight darkness, five cops walked side by side down Osborn Avenue hunting for a clue, any clue, that could help them find the driver who had killed a motorcyclist and then fled.
by | Dec 16, 2016 3:01 pm | Comments (5)
Paul Bass Photo
Officers Joseph and Correa.
Officers Bleck Joseph and Marco Correa shot each other a slight nod. The nod meant: There may be a gun in the car. Time to bring out the occupants.
by | Dec 2, 2016 3:05 pm | Comments (4)
Sanders and Eisenhard on the beat.
As usual, it was Jasmine Sanders who suggested an extra lap: Let’s check out that parking lot one last time before ending our shift, she said.
As usual, it was Eric Eisenhard who responded with a shrug: OK, he said. That sounds good.
by | Oct 23, 2016 10:49 am | Comments (8)
Kendall, the new East Coast figure champ.
The time had come for Shayna Kendall to approach the Body Master, grab the handles, pull the cables, work her triceps. She left behind the other thoughts that had occupied her mind: Her investigation of a grandfather’s sexual assault of his 11-year-old granddaughter. Or her brother’s murder. Or her cousin’s murder.
by | Sep 23, 2016 2:15 pm | Comments (9)
Chad Curry knew his German Shepherd Victor was home taking a nap. He didn’t tell that to the man who was holding a gun in his hand.
by | Sep 21, 2016 4:07 pm | Comments (18)
Aliyya Swaby Photo
Sreshta with his recovered wheels.
Neil Sreshta has bad luck with bikes. He’s had five bikes stolen in six years living in New Haven.
His sixth time was different, thanks to five Fair Haven and East Rock police officers.
by | Aug 12, 2016 12:32 pm | Comments (7)
Paul Bass Photo
Officer Michael Haines knew gang members planned to hold a party in Newhallville. He knew rival gang members might show up. But he didn’t know exactly where.