Connecticut inspector general releases body cam footage of officer-involved shooting

The Connecticut Office of Inspector General has released footage from Tuesday’s officer-involved shooting that occurred during a court-ordered eviction in Brooklyn.

A state marshal was conducting a court-ordered eviction at an apartment on Tiffany Street in Brooklyn around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The state marshal had information that the resident, identified as Byron Harvey, 59, had a large dog at the residence and arranged for two animal control officers to be present, according to a statement from the Office of Inspector General on Thursday.

No one answered the door, so the state marshal contacted the Connecticut State Police for assistance. After getting a key from the landlord, the state marshal, a state police trooper and animal control officers entered the apartment, the inspector general said. There they reportedly found Harvey sitting in a chair holding a knife in his right hand with his dog sitting in front of him, according to the inspector general.

The state police trooper requested backup and two other troopers arrived at the scene and entered the apartment. There they stood in the galley kitchen approximately 15 feet away from Harvey, talking with him and reportedly asking him to drop the knife.

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According to the inspector general, Harvey reportedly refused to drop the knife and made several remarks about self-harm, at one point saying, “You’re going to have to shoot me. … If you don’t, I’m going to get at least one of you.”

When Harvey stood up from the chair and moved toward the troopers with the knife in a raised position, one trooper discharged his Taser and another fired a shot from his handgun, hitting Harvey in the abdomen.

The trooper who shot Harvey was equipped with a body-worn camera during the encounter, which can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=vKswZVwLzjA.

Harvey was treated on the scene by state police and EMS. He was transported to Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam. From there he was flown via LifeStar to UMass Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he remains, the inspector general said. His status was unknown at this time.

The incident remains under investigation by the Office of Inspector General and the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad.