CT officers ruled justified in fatal shooting of man who killed state police K-9, fired at troopers

Finding videos takes time and effort, keep me motivated by donating to https://paypal.me/thisisbutter
-----
Stonington, CT - The Connecticut Office of Inspector General has ruled that officers were justified when they shot and killed a man in Stonington in December 2023 who was wanted in connection with a shooting after he ran from police, fatally shot a state police K-9 and fired at a number of troopers.

“It is sad that this incident resulted in the death of Vaughn Malloy and State Police K-9 Broko,” Inspector General Robert Devlin, Jr. wrote in his report on the incident, which was released Tuesday. “I attribute this to Malloy’s desperate efforts to avoid arrest.”

Devlin wrote in his report that authorities had the “responsibility” to arrest the 42-year-old who was wanted in connection with a shooting in Norwich in 2022 that injured a woman. Police tried to convince Malloy to surrender from a home in Pawcatuck and pivoted to using foam bullets when he fled the residence and tried taking off, the report said.

“It was only when Malloy fired his weapon that the troopers returned fire,” Devlin wrote. “Malloy’s actions in firing a gun multiple times posed a threat of serious injury or death to all troopers on scene.”

In their statements, Devlin continued, Connecticut State Police Sgt. Sean Paddock and Troopers Christopher Church, Jarred Bolduc and Gregory Fascendini said they believed the threat “posed a grave risk of harm.”

“This was reasonable because a reasonable police officer in the same circumstances would share that same belief,” Devlin wrote. “Accordingly, I find that their use of deadly force was justified.”

According to the report, members of the state police Violent Crime Task Force East — which also includes officers from the Norwich, Groton and Waterford Police Departments — attempted to arrest Malloy around 7:30 p.m. at a residence located on Mechanic Street on Dec. 21, 2023. They held a warrant for his arrest in connection with a shooting on April 28, 2022, in Norwich where police allege he fired a gun into the front of a residence, striking a woman inside. The warrant had been outstanding for Malloy’s arrest since June 2022.

Task force members conducted surveillance at the Mechanic Street residence and obtained a search warrant for the property, the report said. The search warrant was executed by the Connecticut State Police Tactical Unit with the assistance of the Rhode Island State Police Tactical Unit.

Authorities trying to carry out the warrant gave Malloy a number of commands to come out of the home and surrender, but he refused, Devlin wrote. After using a loudspeaker announcing their presence and telling him to come out with his hands up, authorities breached the front door using a ram attached to an armored vehicle.

Shortly thereafter, Malloy ran out a rear door and took off, the report said. The tactical team spotted Malloy with a pistol and told him to stop, according to Devlin’s report.

“He’s running, he’s running,” an officer can be heard saying in the body camera footage released in conjunction with the report.

According to Devlin, a tactical team member deployed two bullets with a foam tip at Malloy as he continued running east. The body camera footage shows that K-9 Broko approached Malloy as he fell to the ground and bit him.

According to Devlin, Malloy fired several rounds at the K-9, killing him. He then fired the gun at police, leading to Paddock, Fascendini, Church and Bolduc returning fire, the report said.

The investigation determined that Church fired one round from a JP-15 police rifle, Devlin wrote. Bolduc is believed to have fired four rounds from the same kind of rifle, while Paddock shot seven rounds from his police rifle, the investigation found. According to Devlin, Fascendini fired 12 rounds from a Glock 45 9mm pistol.

The investigation involved the review of the body cameras worn by police as well as a camera affixed to a street pole and one taken from a witness in a nearby home, which showed a woman crying out “Oh my God” multiple times as a slew of shots can be heard ringing out.

Malloy was shot several times. Next to him, police recovered a Polymer 80 9mm handgun that had been used to fire seven rounds, including two that “likely” struck and killed the K-9. Four of the shots are believed to have struck a Ford Expedition police cruiser parked across the street.

Malloy was taken to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:24 p.m.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found that Malloy’s death was caused by 13 gunshot wounds to his torso and extremities. The toxicology report found that he had amphetamine, methamphetamine and THC in his system, Devlin’s report said.

“All of these substances had the potential to affect Malloy’s central nervous system, particularly methamphetamine,” Devlin wrote. “The concentrations, however, were not at levels that historically have caused violent or irrational behavior.”