City cop commended for response at shooting scene

NEW HAVEN — Officer Matthew Curran is being praised for his response to the fatal shooting of a city woman, as department brass said the situation could have escalated into further danger.

Police said Curran encountered Brianna Triplett — charged with first-degree assault in connection with the death of Dwaneia Turner, 28, and the wounding of another woman — at the scene of the homicide on Auburn Street Tuesday night.

Triplett had a gun in her hand, according to Curran’s report.

Curran ordered Triplett to put the gun on top of a nearby car, which she did, according to the report. He placed her in cuffs, then had her sit on the sidewalk, accompanied by Officer Christopher Noble.

She then was escorted to a cruiser, according to the report. She did not say anything to Curran at the scene, he reported.

A bloody knife and shell casings were found near the scene, according to the report.

Sgt. Justin Marshall, district manager for the Hill neighborhood, Assistant Chief Karl Jacobson and Acting Chief Renee Dominguez praised Curran’s actions, as well as those of the other patrol officers, at the department’s weekly Compstat intelligence-sharing meeting.

“This incident could very easily have gone into a deadly-force situation. Officer Matthew Curran acted courageously and (with) great voice in his command presence on scene immediately defused the situation,” Marshall said Thursday, noting that Curran would receive a commendation from the department. “A great job by him, as well as the other officers that responded.”

“That’s a stressful situation, so he did a great job,” said Dominguez.

Sgt. Bertram Etienne, supervisor of the homicide unit, also lauded the officers who responded. Former Assistant Chief Achilles “Archie” Generoso, now the statewide director of Project Longevity, added praise for Curran, as well.

“So often, we hear of these things turning bad, with a different result. It’s a testament to his professionalism and the training of the New Haven Police Department,” said Generoso.

Triplett was arraigned Wednesday in Superior Court in New Haven, then held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to state records. Her case was transferred to Part A proceedings, where more serious cases are adjudicated.

She is scheduled to appear in court March 30.

Capt. Anthony Duff has asked anyone with information about the homicide to contact the New Haven Police Department at 203-9466304.