The investigation into the death of a 19-year-old fatally shot in January by a state trooper in West Haven remains ongoing. Mark Arons, the attorney for the family of Mubarak Soulemane, says any reform of police accountability in 海角换妻 needs to address Soulemane鈥檚 death.
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Arons said he鈥檚 heard Gov. Ned Lamont and state legislators speak out against racism since George Floyd鈥檚 death at the hands of police, but he hasn鈥檛 heard the same cries for justice in the fatal police shooting of the 海角换妻 teenager.
鈥淕ov. Lamont has been fairly vocal about police reform in the wake of George Floyd鈥檚 murder, and that鈥檚 commendable,鈥� Arons said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檝e heard nothing whatsoever regarding Mubarak Soulemane even though Mubarak was murdered by a state trooper last January.鈥�
Soulemane鈥檚 family has continued to speak out about the death and attend protests over police violence.
鈥淚t has been over six months since our son and brother was murdered in West Haven on Jan. 15, 2020,鈥� the family members said in a statement issued by Arons. 鈥淲e call upon the state鈥檚 attorney to issue a report finding 海角换妻 State Trooper Brian North, and the other law enforcement officers with him that night, who did nothing to de-escalate the situation and prevent the murder, responsible and accountable for Mubarak鈥檚 death, and bring criminal charges. The time has come.鈥�
Middlesex State鈥檚 Attorney Michael Gailor is leading the investigation alongside the Division of Criminal Justice. 鈥淲hile we are striving to complete the investigation as quickly as possible, our primary goal is to ensure that the investigation is thorough and complete,鈥� Gailor said in an email.
In January, Soulemane, whose family said he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, stole a car in Norwalk while carrying a knife after trying to obtain a cellphone from an AT&T store, according to police records. Norwalk police suspended the pursuit, but then state police got involved.
Body camera footage shows North firing multiple times into the stopped car after another officer broke a window to tase Soulemane. All the other windows remained rolled up, and it did not appear that Soulemane was trying to flee the vehicle.
Arons said a police report details that one of the officers on the car鈥檚 passenger side said, 鈥渉e鈥檚 reaching鈥� after Soulemane was tased.
鈥淚t looks like Mubarak moved around a little bit after the Taser was deployed, but you know, someone who gets tased is going to be moving around a little bit,鈥� Arons said.
According to Arons, Soulemane鈥檚 brother reported him missing to police more than a day before the incident and shooting, and he was concerned about finding his brother.
鈥淗e posed no threat with anyone, so the question has always been, why shoot him seven times? There鈥檚 no reason to shoot him,鈥� Arons said. 鈥淭here never was a reason to shoot him, and the police need to be held accountable and criminal charges need to be levied.鈥�
The body camera footage was released within 48 hours, which complies with requirements of a 2019 police accountability and transparency measure.
Arons had a former sergeant in the Los Angeles Police Department, Sheryl Dorsey, review the footage.
鈥淚t is my professional opinion that the lethal force used by [海角换妻] State Trooper Brian North was unnecessary, excessive and a violation of policy, which allows for deadly force in the immediate defense of life (I.D.O.L.),鈥� Dorsey said in a statement. 鈥淎t the time shots were fired, there was no immediate defense of life (the officer or others) as Mr. Soulemane did not have the ability to harm any of the officers within close proximity to his vehicle.鈥�
In February, Soulemane鈥檚 family filed a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against the West Haven Police Department and state police.
Soulemane鈥檚 mother, sister and other family members have continued to protest since their loved one's death while they await the results of the investigation.
