 |
STATE OF CONNECTICUT Department of Public Safety 1111 Country Club Road Middletown, Connecticut 06457 |
Contact:
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 26, 2009 |
Today 10/24/09 at approximately 10:00 a.m., the Bethel Police Department received a complaint of a despondent, armed person at the residence located at 150 Grassy Plain Road in Bethel, CT. Bethel Police Officer responded to the location and upon their arrival the despondent male refused to comply with officer direction and fled out the door into the wooded area directly behind the complex. Three Bethel Police Officers pursued him in an attempt to subdue him. The armed despondent male confronted the officers. The Officers attempted to calm him and also have him comply with directions to drop his weapon.
The despondent male refused to comply with all directions made by the officers and he made an abrupt movement with the weapon toward the officers. One Bethel Police Officer was forced to discharge his service weapon at the male subject severely wounding him. EMS personnel responded to the shooting scene provided emergency care and transported the despondent male to Danbury Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Bethel Police Officers were not injured in this incident. Bethel Police officers secured the area of the shooting incident and at the request of the Bethel Police Chief and Danbury State's Attorney, the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad was requested to respond to this scene to conduct the investigation into this incident.
State Police Major Crime Detectives and Forensic Lab Personnel will process the scene and gather all physical and forensic evidence at the scene.
** UPDATE **
State Police Major Crime Detectives have identified deceased as JOSEPH DELLAVENTURA DOB: 1/4/1953, of 150B Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT. A post mortem examination of the deceased was conducted by the Office Of the Chief States Medical Examiner and determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound.
The Bethel Police Officer involved in this police shooting is identified as Bethel Police Sgt MICHAEL LIBERTINI, a seven-year veteran of the department. Per the department policy, Sgt. Libertini will be assigned to administrative duty pending the completion of this investigation.
The State Police investigation is continuing.
###END###
LT. J. Paul Vance