Connecticut
CT state police to hold service for K-9 killed by suspect during fatal officer-involved shooting
The Connecticut State Police will hold a memorial service on Tuesday Jan. 16, 2024 for police K-9 Broko, who died in the line of duty on Dec. 21, 2023, and the event will be streamed on Facebook, according to the agency.
The Connecticut Office of Inspector General in December released a preliminary report and body camera footage revealing new details in the officer-involved shooting that led to the death of the suspect and state police K-9 Broko.
The report by Inspector General Robert Devlin, Jr., said 42-year-old Vaughn R. Malloy died as a result of gunfire that was returned by police outside a Pawcatuck residence on Dec. 21. Devlin is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
K-9 Broko was a graduate of the 218th Connecticut State Police Patrol K-9 Class in January 2021. He and his handler were assigned to Troop A in Southbury and then to the Connecticut State Police K-9 Unit.
The memorial service for Broko will be open to Connecticut State Police sworn and civilian personnel only, or by invitation, according to the agency. “At the request of K9 Broko’s family, the service is not open to the general public or media,” according to Connecticut State Police.
Dog teams from NESPAC, or the New England State Police Administrators Conference and from Connecticut municipalities will attend the service, state police said. Dog teams from across the country – who have trained with the CSP K9 Unit – also were invited to attend, state police said.
The service will be livestreamed on the Connecticut State Police Facebook page for those who would like to watch the service, the agency said.
Photo courtesy of Connecticut State Police
The service is scheduled for 10 a.m. January 16, state police said.
According to Devlin’s report, members of the Connecticut 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. Dec. 21 at a residence located on Mechanic Street in connection with a warrant tied to a shooting reported in Norwich on April 28, 2022. A warrant had been out for Malloy’s arrest since June 20, 2022, in connection with the shooting, during which police allege he fired a gun into the front of a residence, striking a female victim.
Police attempting to arrest Malloy last Thursday had not yet recovered the gun used in the Norwich incident, according to Devlin’s report.
Body camera footage released in conjunction with Devlin’s preliminary report showed police outside the residence using what appeared to be a megaphone or PA system to call out multiple times, “This is Connecticut State Police with a warrant.” Police also asked Malloy multiple times to come to the front door with his hands up and nothing in his hands.
According to Devlin’s report, the tactical unit decided to breach the front door of the residence using an extended ram attached to the front of an armored vehicle. Shortly after the front door was breached, Malloy ran out of the residence through a rear door and into the backyard, Devlin wrote.
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 bodycam footage.
According to Devlin, a tactical team member deployed two “less lethal impact munitions” at Malloy as he disregarded commands to stop and continued running east. The body camera footage shows that K-9 Broko approached Malloy as he fell to the ground.
According to the preliminary report, Malloy fired several rounds at the K-9, killing him, and at authorities, striking a police vehicle. In response, Sgt. Sean Paddock and Troopers Gregory Fascendini, Christopher Church and Jarred Bolduc returned fire, striking Malloy several times, according to the report.
State police have said they were mourning the death of K-9 Broko, who they said “ultimately sacrificed his life doing what he was known best for.”
“K-9 Broko courageously gave his life protecting his handler, fellow troopers and our community,” state police said. “K-9 Broko was not just a loyal companion; he was a hero in every sense, embodying the values of courage, loyalty, selflessness and the highest standards of the Connecticut State Police. His sacrifice will forever be etched in our hearts and never be forgotten.”
Connecticut
Valkyries hit new highs in win over lowly Connecticut Sun
The second-year Golden State Valkyries keep clearing hurdles that have never been scaled in the history of the WNBA.
They did it again Friday night.
Across the country from Ballhalla, against an opponent with the league’s worst record, the Valkyries became the fastest WNBA expansion franchise to 40 victories.
They needed just 68 games over two seasons to hit the mark.
That was among the bullet points in their 79-64 victory over the Connecticut Sun, an outcome that extended Golden State’s franchise-record win streak to seven games, including the first four in a five-city trip that concludes Wednesday at Indiana.
The Valkyries overcame a rough start on a night in which their All-Star forward, Gabby Williams, was ruled out before tip-off because of a back injury that sidelined her in the fourth quarter of the team’s win in Toronto on Wednesday.
Connecticut, which fell to 5-18, stormed to a 9-2 lead in the opening minutes and maintained an advantage into the second quarter even though its leading scorer on the season, center Brittney Griner, missed her second consecutive game because of a quad strain.
But the Valkyries’ highly touted defense eventually put a grip on the home team, and Golden State grabbed its first lead, 24-23, when Kaila Charles drove for a layup.
The visitors led 30-25 at halftime.
Connecticut kept the margin within single digits for nearly all of the third quarter, but Veronica Burton closed the period with an up-and-under layup as time expired to give Golden State a 54-44 cushion heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Valkyries put the score out of reach when Charles and Burton made back-to-back 3-pointers to widen the lead to 60-44 with 7:19 to play.
Burton had a superb game against her former team, finishing with 17 points, six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The Valkyries are undefeated this season when the point guard has at least six assists.
Golden State’s bench contributed 42 points, seven more than its league-high season average. Janelle Salaun led the reserves with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Laeticia Amihere added six points, five rebounds, three blocks and three assists. The Valkyries also got nine points from Tiffany Hayes and eight from Kaitlyn Chen.
Williams, meanwhile, gave the team a boost from the bench.
“Gabby is still going to contribute, and she still helped us,” Burton said. “She was one of the loudest people throughout the entire game. With that … it’s a next-man-up mentality. There is not necessarily any drop-off. We find different ways to win, and we just rely on every single person on this team.”
With the win, Golden State is the first to 17 victories this season, as the result on Friday improved its record to 17-7, tying the Valkyries with Las Vegas and Minnesota (both 16-6) for the league’s top mark.
How has Golden State done it?
It starts with “high-character” players the front office brought in, coach Natalie Nakase said, noting that everyone has accepted their roles, some more challenging than others.
“The best thing about our team is we have a selfless team that understands matchups,” Nakase said. “Having a deep bench was intentional. But it also comes with the humility that each player has to have that sometimes they can start, sometimes they’ll have a night, sometimes they might not start, sometimes they might not have a night.
“This is a very special group. I am not going to take this group for granted at all because they have meshed a lot better together than I anticipated.”
But even with far more highs than lows, the Valkyries are not a finished product in the eyes of their coach. Nakase noted the team’s slow starts in its previous two games, against Washington and Toronto, and stressed stronger consistency.
The Valkyries had another rough start on Friday.
Afterward, Nakase pointed to fatigue caused by an extended period on the road.
“We lost our vocalness in the first quarter, so I wasn’t really happy with that,” she said. “When you’re tired, the first thing that goes is the mind and they stop talking. We found pockets tonight of when we were very, very connected. But I need to see some rest. They deserve it. Four games in seven days and the emptying-the-tank mentality, I saw a lot of consistency there. But this game was really tough. Credit to Connecticut.”
Connecticut
Woman arrested, accused of murdering man in Farmington in March
A woman was arrested and charged with murdering a man whose body was found behind a condominium complex in Farmington in March, police said on Friday.
Cynthia Martinez, 27, was charged with murder, unlawful discharge of a firearm, tampering with evidence, and criminal use of a firearm in connection with the death of 29-year-old Derick William Mercado-Labonte of Bridgeport.
On March 19, officers responded to Talcott Forest Road around 10 a.m. for the report of an untimely death.
They found the body of Mercado-Labonte along the wood line behind a condominium complex. He appeared to have sustained multiple areas of trauma, according to police.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Mercado-Labonte’s death a homicide.
Martinez is being held on a $3,000,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Torrington Superior Court on Friday.
Police said no further information will be released at this time, as this remains an active and ongoing investigation.
Connecticut
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