People sit in a street outside the state Capitol on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Hartford, Conn., to demonstrate the handling of the case of Jayson Negron, 15, killed by police in May in Bridgeport. The seven protesters were arrested. Community advocates had called for a rally to bring attention to Negron’s death and to call for prosecutors to release video evidence in the case. (AP Photo/Dave Collins)
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Protesters on Monday called for criminal charges against a police officer who killed an unarmed 15-year-old boy and for the release of surveillance and other videos that shows the May shooting.
Demonstrators sought to bring attention to the fatal shooting of Jayson Negron by Bridgeport rookie officer James Boulay after a traffic stop. A 21-year-old passenger, Julian Fyffe, also was wounded.
Activists chanted “no justice, no peace” and other slogans outside the state Supreme Court in Hartford before blocking a street between the court and the state Capitol. Seven people were arrested.
There also were 20 minutes of silence to mark what demonstrators said was the time it took for police to call for emergency medical help as Negron and Fyffe lay in the street.
“Officer Boulay acted as judge, jury and executioner for what should have been a routine traffic stop,” said Kerry Ellington, an organizer with New Haven-based People Against Police Brutality.
Negron’s sister, Jazmarie Melendez, accused authorities of covering up what really happened to him.
“We know that they’re doing everything in their power to make Jayson look like he was in the wrong when we know that he wasn’t,” she said. “We’re tired of the lies.”
Waterbury State’s Attorney Maureen Platt, the prosecutor investigating the shooting, told The Associated Press that she expects to get the state police report next Monday, and then will begin her review. She said there is no timetable for a decision on whether criminal charges are warranted.
“I have to look through the report, see if I want any other things done and reach a conclusion,” she said. “They always take a while with these investigations because they have to be thorough and it’s important for public confidence that they are thorough.”
Platt added that video of the shooting, including surveillance footage from a nearby drug store, will be released as part of the final investigation report.
Boulay remains on paid administrative leave per department policy, Bridgeport officials said. He declined to comment to the AP on Monday.
Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perez has said that Boulay opened fire when a stolen SUV driven by Negron suddenly went into reverse and nearly ran over Boulay. Officers had stopped the SUV after a chase and were trying to remove Negron and Fyffe when Boulay fired his gun, Perez said.
Fyffe has said there was no chase and he and Negron were trying to surrender. He said the SUV started moving in reverse when Boulay tried to pull Negron out of the vehicle and Negron’s foot came off the brake. Fyffe said Boulay stepped back into the clear and began shooting.
No one in the car had a weapon.
Fyffe filed a $6 million lawsuit against police and the city, but later withdrew it for undisclosed reasons. Negron’s father has filed a legal notice saying he intends to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
Boulay and other officers also are being sued in connection with the treatment of another man during a traffic stop a year ago.
Av Harris, a spokesman for Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, said everyone has to wait for answers from Platt’s investigation, and it’s not common practice to release evidence while an investigation is pending.
“Mayor Ganim and the city of Bridgeport and the police department, frankly, want justice for Jayson as well,” Harris said. “We want to know what happened, why it happened and if anything was improper, then absolutely we should be held accountable.
He called the death a tragedy.
“There are a lot of questions that are raised by this incident that are very troublesome,” Harris said.
