By Peter Yankowski
Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
WATERBURY, Conn. — Body camera footage released Monday shows a carjacking suspect shooting at a Waterbury police detective Thursday when confronted by the officer.
The detective, Ronald Sackett, was struck in the leg and wounded during the encounter. Sackett fired at the man, later identified as Arian Perez-Feliciano, but did not hit him during the exchange of gunfire, the state’s Office of the Inspector General said in a news release Monday.
The office is tasked with investigating whether police shootings and other use-of-force incidents are justified under state law. They are investigating the Feb. 13 shooting in Waterbury.
WARNING: This body camera video is graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers:
The video, which opens without sound, shows Sackett running around the corner of a building and into an alleyway between the building and white fence. As he comes around the corner, a figure emerges from the opposite corner. A blue light is visible outstretched in front of him.
Sackett, a yellow Taser in his right hand, stumbles and falls face-down on the ground, the video still soundless. The sound comes on in time to capture him radioing that he’s been hit. He draws his gun with his right hand and fires four shots, then radios again that he’s been hit before the video ends.
The office also released a second video captured by a home surveillance system that stood above where the shooting happened,
The office said the incident began around 8:30 p.m. when Waterbury police were called to the area of 59 Waterville Street for an attempted carjacking.
The victim reported three masked men in a white Ford SUV armed with a gun tried to steal his vehicle, but that he was able to drive away.
About 20 minutes after that report, police received a second complaint of another attempted carjacking at 109 Chase Avenue . In that instance, the victim told police that a person in a white Ford Explorer pointed a gun at him and stole his car keys.
Sackett and another officer, Sergeant Steve Martin, responded to the area of America Street for a vehicle alarm going off.
“The report was that three subjects were trying to break into a vehicle,” the inspector general’s news release said. “Upon arrival on America Street, police observed a white Ford Explorer. A civilian indicated that the subjects ran toward 16 Clairmont Street .”
Police went to the location indicated by the bystander and moved “around the residence from opposite directions,” the inspector general said. Sackett took the eastern side.
As Sackett turned the corner at the back of the home, he encountered Perez-Feliciano, who was armed with a gun equipped with a laser sight, the inspector general’s office said.
“The subject fired multiple rounds at Detective Sackett, striking him in the leg. Detective Sackett returned fire. The subject was not hit.”
WARNING: This body camera video is graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers:
Sackett was taken to Waterbury Hospital where he was treated for a “through-and-through” gunshot wound to his upper leg, the inspector general’s office said. He was released Friday.
Perez-Feliciano was arrested near the scene and is facing charges of attempted murder and assault on a police officer, among other charges.
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