State's attorney won't charge Bridgeport officer in teen's death

<p>The state's attorney in Waterbury will not prosecute the Bridgeport police officer who shot and killed 15-year-old Jayson Negron last year.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jan 26, 2018, 11:19 AM

Updated 2,447 days ago

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The state's attorney in Waterbury will not prosecute the Bridgeport police officer who shot and killed 15-year-old Jayson Negron last year.
As News 12 Connecticut has reported, police shot and killed the teen on May 9 at the Walgreen's near Park and Fairfield avenues after they say he hit an officer with a stolen Subaru after leading them on a chase. The decision not to charge Officer James Boulay sparked an angry response from Negron's family and friends as well as activists who oppose police violence.
After learning that Boulay would not face any criminal charges, they demanded the state's six criminal justice commissioners reopen the investigation.
Negron died at the scene, but controversy arose when video surfaced showing him alive and moving on the ground while handcuffed. According to the state's attorney, the video was likely taken moments after the shooting, and Negron's injuries required immediate surgery for any chance of survival. By the time first responders arrived, he was already dead.
Gunfire also injured a passenger in the car, who in the prosecutor's report backed up the police version of events but later filed a lawsuit with a conflicting account.
State's Attorney Maureen Platt in Waterbury had been investigating whether deadly force was justified. Negron's family and their attorney met with prosecutors Friday to hear the results ahead of their public release.
"Officer Boulay has stated that he was in fear of being dragged under the Subaru," the report reads. "While there are differences among the witnesses, there are many factors that clearly support Officer Boulay's statement."
Those factors include Boulay's injuries and damage to the car door.
Investigators also released more video of the incident, showing the Walgreen's parking lot where police first tried to pull over Negron in the stolen car. It appears to show him trying to escape police, but it does not show the shooting.
With the decision not to prosecute Boulay, a crowd of activists accused prosecutors of colluding with police and conducting a shoddy and secretive investigation.
"This is a sick system, and we will keep fighting," Jeannia Fu, a Negron family supporter, told other supporters after the meeting. "And all of you can be a part of this work."
Separately, the Connecticut ACLU Friday evening issued a statement criticizing the investigation and saying that it's time for a new set of accountability standards so police are no longer policing themselves.  
Through his lawyer Michael Rosnick, Negron's father urged demonstrators to remain nonviolent.
"Of course, we want justice and accountability," Rosnick said. "However, I ask that everyone conduct peaceful demonstrations."
The official report outlines exactly why prosecutors declined to press charges.