The New London State’s Attorney’s office has ruled that the use of deadly force by two officers during a confrontation with a South Windsor bank robbery suspect in Bolton in Aug. 2015 was justified, according to a report released Tuesday.
The New London’s State’s Attorney was called in to investigate after a state trooper and a Manchester police officer fired shots at the suspect, Christopher T. Anderson, 53, of Hartford, during a confrontation on Aug. 14, 2015. Anderson eventually died from his injuries.
According to police, the incident started when Anderson handed tellers a note demanding money at First Niagara Bank at 481 Buckland Road in South Windsor.
A South Windsor police officer saw him fleeing the bank and get into a Toyota Matrix. The officer chased after him into Manchester and a group of Manchester police officers joined in on the pursuit at about 3:30 p.m. The suspect refused to stop for South Windsor and Manchester police.
State police from the Troop K barracks in Colchester responded to the area of routes 384 and 6 in Manchester to help South Windsor and Manchester police with the pursuit at about 3:30 p.m.
The chase ended on Route 44 in Bolton, where the Anderson crashed on the right side of the roadway, according to state police. The suspect started driving again and made it 200 yards before his vehicle broke down near the intersection of Routes 44 and 6, east of Bolton Notch.
As State Trooper Brian Contenta and police officers approached the vehicle, state police said Anderson got out of the car and was brandishing a box cutter in his hand when he got out of the car and disobeyed authorities' commands to stop. He advanced toward the trooper and officers, state police said.
Manchester Police Officer Jason Wagner deployed a Taser, but it didn't stop Anderson, who ripped the probes out. Anderson continued advancing on the officers with the weapon, prompting Contenta and Manchester Police Officer Layau Eulizier to open fire on him simultaneously and shoot him, state police said. It's unknown how many times Anderson was shot.
According to the State’s Attorney’s report, Contenta fired four shots and Eulizier fired one shot.
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Anderson was immediately treated on scene then taken to Hartford Hospital in an ambulance, but died at the hospital. Contenta, Wagner and Eulizier weren't injured, but they were taken to the hospital to be evaluated.
Contenta was temporarily assigned to administrative duty pending the completion of the investigation, per state police policy. Wagner, the officer who deployed the taser, has been with the Manchester Police Department for 13 years. Eulizier, the Manchester officer who fired the gun, has been with the department for one year.
Detectives from the Eastern District Major Crime squad and the state's attorney's office in New London responded to the scene.
[HAR] Scene of Police-Involved Shooting in Bolton
Anderson was shot once before by police during a New Haven police investigation into another bank robbery back in October of 2006. New Haven police located him inside a home at 74 Fowler Street and determined he might be armed, police said. When Anderson confronted officers during a lengthy standoff, police were "forced" to fire their guns at him, seriously wounding him, state police said. He was hospitalized after that.
In the conclusion of the State’s attorney report, dated Dec. 7, 2016, the office ruled that given Anderson’s refusal to follow verbal instructions to drop his weapon, and his “aggressive and threatening” manner which continued after the use of a Taser, both officers reasonably believed they had to use deadly force to protect themselves and others from the suspect.
