As is Bridgeport Police Department protocol, Connecticut State Police are investigating the circumstances of a police officer who shot a women Sunday evening after a car had been reported stolen leading to a chase into Stratford where police say the suspect intentionally rammed two police cruisers. Josephine Cepeda of Bridgeport was transported to Bridgeport Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Police did not release the name of the officer who discharged the weapon.
Police Chief AJ Perez issued this statement:
“The Bridgeport Police Department has very strict guidelines on the use of force and the use of deadly force. An officer is justified to use deadly force only under the following circumstances:
1) To defend the officer or another person from what the officer reasonably believes to be the use of imminent use of deadly physical force.
2) To effect an arrest or prevent the escape from custody of a person whom the officer reasonably believes has committed or attempted to commit a felony that involved the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical injury; AND,
3) The officer reasonably believes that the person still poses an immediate threat to the officer of third party through the use of deadly physical force to the officer or a third party.Using those guidelines, I stand firmly behind the actions of the Bridgeport police officers involved in this incident last night. As is our protocol, we refer any incident in which a person is struck by the discharge of a service weapon fired by a Bridgeport police officer for investigation by the local State Attorney and the Connecticut State Police. This matter is now under investigation by the office of Bridgeport State Attorney John Smirga and the Connecticut State Police. As such, we can have no further comment on any details related to this matter, pending the outcome of the state investigation.”
