Law enforcement rally planned to support state trooper charged with manslaughter – Hartford Courant

The state police union is urging law enforcement to come together in support of the soldier charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of a man after a high-speed chase in West Haven two years ago years.

Private Brian North is due to appear in Milford Superior Court on Tuesday. The state police union on Friday called on all police officers to come together before and during arraignment and to come together for the North – “to show that we are united and will stand up for the police.”

Charged with first-degree manslaughter with a firearm, North faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum of five years behind bars if convicted.

Mubarak Sulemane was shot and killed at the end of a high-speed chase in a stolen car on January 15, 2020. Footage from the scene shows soldiers and a West Haven policeman descending on the car after it was stopped at exit 43 of I-95 North and blocked by police cars. Video of the shooting shows North shooting into the car after the soldier allegedly saw Soulemane with a knife.

Inspector General Robert J. Devlin Jr., however, concluded that neither North nor two other officers outside the car were in imminent danger of having deadly force used against them. Devlin added that due to the police car blocking his door, Soulemane could not have got out.

“Although [Soulemane] held a knife in his right hand, he did not use the knife against them and presented no imminent threat to do so,” he wrote.

Soulemane’s family had called for an independent investigation and the police officer‘s arrest after the shooting. They said he was a community college student who suffered from schizophrenia. Mark Arons, a lawyer for the family, said there has been a cloud over the family’s head since the shooting and they have been anxiously awaiting North’s sentencing.

“Mubarak Soulemane’s family is very happy that after more than two years, Private Brian North, who murdered Mubarak in West Haven in January 2020, can be brought to justice.

The State Police Union offered its condolences to Soulemane’s family, saying, “No Connecticut State Trooper ever intends or desires to take the life of another human being. “

But the rally call for North says: ‘We are all disappointed that the politically appointed, independently appointed Inspector General made the decision to prosecute Private North, who was forced to make a split-second decision in these dangerous and rapidly changing circumstances.

“We believe Private North acted objectively reasonable during this violent encounter and we believe a jury will find a reasonable doubt and acquit him of these serious charges,” the notice reads.

“This rally is not limited to the arrest of Private North,” the notice reads. “This is about sending a clear message to politicians that the job of a police officer is inherently dangerous – and that ALL police officers – no matter what uniform they wear – will defend and support each other. others.”

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at [email protected]