Deadly Stratford Police Shooting Justified: Inspector General

STRATFORD, Connecticut — The February 2021 shooting of a 36-year-old man justified the use of deadly force by police officers in Stratford, according to a state inspector general report.

Christopher Hagans of Stratford was killed in a shooting on February 5, 2021. The case began when Stratford officers attempted to detain Hagans on a felony arrest warrant. Investigations show that when Stratford police fired their weapons, Hagans resisted arrest, showed a loaded gun, and (at one point) released his weapon.

Connecticut Inspector General Robert J. Devlin Jr. issued a report on Tuesday that said Stratford police officers were “out of the threat of imminent danger posed by Christopher Hagans, who is armed and uncooperative with police. He used deadly force to protect himself and nearby civilians.”

The shooting occurred on Main Street in Stratford’s Putney neighborhood around 7:35 p.m. Prior to the shooting, Stratford police had issued an arrest warrant for Hagan on charges including burglary and strangulation in support of Naugatuck police.

Stratford police, who were dispatched to Hagans’ home to process the warrant, said Hagans was a possible gang member and “had multiple arrests, including one for robbery, was a PCP user, and resisted arrest.” had information indicating that there is a history of According to reports. They considered him “armed and dangerous,” the report said.

When officers were conducting surveillance checks on Hagans’ home, he was seen driving out in a Dodge Charger. Police in an unmarked car chased Hagan until his car stopped at a traffic light on Main Street in Putney.

Officers reported attempting to stop the car at traffic lights by placing a police vehicle with signs in front of Hagans’ vehicle while the unmarked vehicle remained behind. Both police vehicles activated flashing red and blue lights, and officers verbally ordered Hagan to show his hands, officials said.

“Stratford officers approached Charger with the intention of detaining Hagans on a felony arrest warrant,” the report said. “Hagans, who had a loaded handgun, refused to comply with police officers’ repeated requests to show their hands. A shot was fired at the Charger that was going down, the car got stuck in the guardrail and was stuck in the snow.

“Hagans fled the vehicle on foot. He headed for a civilian vehicle, pointing his gun at the Stratford officer. The Stratford officer fired additional shots at Hagans, mortally wounding him.” At some point inside, Hagans fired once.”

Officers told investigators they were concerned that civilians nearby were at risk of being carjacked during the incident, according to the report.

Hagans was shot five times, and the cause of death listed in the autopsy report was “gunshot wounds to the head, torso, and upper left and lower extremities.”

Devlin said in the report that Hagans’ actions “posed an imminent and serious threat of serious injury or death to police officers and civilian drivers of nearby vehicles. I conclude that he justifiably used lethal force.”

Read the full report here.

Related reference: Man fatally shot by Stratford police, new details released