State’s attorney clears narcotics police in death
Officers were cleared of any wrongdoing in the April 7 death of a local man
BRIDGEPORT — The Police Department’s Tactical Narcotics Team has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the death of a 49-year-old city man last week.
In a letter Thursday to Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, State’s Attorney Joseph Corradino states that he has “reviewed the body camera footage” and both he and the state police “see no evidence of any misconduct on the part of the Bridgeport police officers.”
Wilfredo Alvarado was found dead on the ground outside his apartment on Chestnut Street shortly after 10:30 p.m. April 7. The Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner lists his death as “pending further study.”
According to a press release put out by the State Police, Bridgeport police “entered the apartment and were inside for a short period of time with a female occupant before an officer looked out an open window and discovered a male lying on the ground, having apparently jumped out of the window from an elevated height.”
Garcia put the seven members of TNT on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
Corradino requested that the State Police Western District Major Crime Squad conduct an independent investigation of the incident, according to his letter to Garcia.
Corradino confirmed that he and the state police are assisting the Bridgeport Police Department but declined to comment on what he said was a pending investigation.
In his letter, Corradino states that he reviewed the body camera footage recorded at the Chestnut Street apartment and discussed the incident with State Police Sgt John Kimball.
“All indications are that Wilfredo Alvarado attempted to flee from the apartment by
jumping from the secondfloor window after the officers knocked and announced their presence and prior to the police entry of the apartment,” the letter states. “Although we do not have autopsy results, it is reasonable to conclude that the fall from the window resulted in Alvarado’s death.”
The letter continues that while this is neither a use-of-force nor death in custody that require an independent investigation by state law, Garcia requested an outside investigation out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of transparency.
“The state police and I agreed to assist your department in this regard. The state police will complete their investigation, but absent some material change in circumstances, neither Sgt. Kimball nor I anticipate uncovering any actionable wrongdoing in connection with this matter,” the letter states.
Garcia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.