Waterbury police shot and killed a man during a call for a welfare check on Monday afternoon and they have identified him as Edward Gendron, 57, of Waterbury.
Officers were called to 81 Craigie Ave. just before 12:30 p.m. to check the condition of a person at that location after the property manager called police to report that a bullet hole had been found in a wall of one of the units, according to Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo.
A Waterbury police officer arrived at the home and state police said a person living there displayed a gun.
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At the home, a struggle ensued between the officers and a person inside that led to an officer shooting the person, Spagnolo said.
Emergency crews rendered medical attention, but the person died at the scene. On Tuesday afternoon, police identified the man as 57-year-old Edward Gendron. The office of the chief medical examiner conducted an autopsy Tuesday.
The officer involved in the shooting was not injured but was taken to the hospital to be checked out. On Tuesday, police identified the officer involved in the incident as Officer Ronald W. Tompkins III, who has been a member of the Waterbury Police Department since October 30, 1989.
Spagnolo said Gendron was a registered gun owner and there was a gun in the home.
The state police Central District Major Crime Squad and the New Britain State's Attorney's Office have taken over the investigation of the shooting.
According to Spagnolo, the department doesn't have body cameras so there's no footage to review. State police are relying on physical evidence to explain what happened.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Central District Major Crime Squad at 860-706-5656.
This was the second fatal police-involved shooting in the state in a week and the third this month.
Fatal Police Shootings in Connecticut in 2020
- Jan. 2, 2020: Police shot and killed 30-year-old Michael Gregory in Ansonia after what started as a domestic incident.
- Jan. 15, 2020: Mubarak Soulemane, 19, of New Haven, was shot and killed by police in West Haven last Wednesday during what started as an investigation into a reported carjacking in Norwalk.
- Jan. 20, 2020: Waterbury police shot and killed Edward Gendron during a call for a welfare check. They have not released the person's name.
The state Division of Criminal Justice posts completed and pending reports on use-of-force by police on its website. See the reports here.
