New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
ARREST IN SHOOTING OF POLICE CAPTAIN
Suspect also charged in slaying in which Duff intervened
NEW HAVEN — Police have obtained an arrest warrant charging a city resident with the slaying of a West Haven man and the wounding of Capt. Anthony
Duff, which left him hospitalized for months.
Acting Chief Renee Dominguez said Albert Eaddy, 59, had been charged with murder, felony murder, first-degree assault, two counts of first-degree robbery and criminal possession of a firearm.
Speaking at a press conference Thursday, she noted the effect the incident has had on the department.
“Almost two years ago to the day, the lives of the individuals behind me, and countless others, were forever changed,” said Dominguez.
Duff was wounded around 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2019, in the area of Dixwell Avenue and Henry Street.
He was shot while attempting to intervene after Troy Clark, a 46-year-old West Haven man, had been fatally wounded by another man.
Off-duty at the time, Duff was shot in three places and hospitalized after being treated at the scene by four officers who were credited for helping to save his life; he recovered and resumed his work with the department before retiring.
Duff said Thursday he was glad to have intervened in the incident, but wished he could have done more. He saw a man dying, he noted; it left him with a new understanding of death that would stay with him.
“Two years ago, my life changed. I’m still here, though. As a result of that incident, I saw a person dying. And I’ll never be able to forget the sight, the imagery — it’s just something that stays with you,” said Duff. “(I’ve) been around gunfire, shooting scenes, homicides, all types of major incidents, but it’s something else when you’re not working and you’re just driving along and you come across something like I did, and you have to make a decision — there’s someone there in need of help.”
“I called it and then I chose to act. And I wish I could have done more to have saved Mr. Clark,” said Duff. “I want to thank all the first responders ... all the folks who raced to that scene, some who were nearby, some on the other side of town who, I hear, commandeered a piece of fire apparatus to get there. People to came to help, to lend a hand.”
He offered his regrets to the Clark family, again saying he wished he could have done more, and thanked his family, friends, the community, and people across the country for their support.
“When I got out of the hospital, the first thing I did was go to Mr. Clark’s funeral. And I (was) ... just racking my brain, ‘is there something else I could have done?’ But ultimately, I go forward, knowing, with my physical and surgical scars, that I have to go forward,” said Duff. “I looked forward to this day, that one day we would stand before you and be able to thank the investigators (for making an arrest).”
Clark’s sister, Veronica Clark, offered her gratitude to the department for staying on the case. It was “a bittersweet day” for her family, she said.
“We’re all human, but when you take crime into your own hand, you have to pay — you have to pay the price,” said Clark. “But I could not stand there and not say thank you to each and every officer, each and every detective, that had their hands on my brother’s case. I truly thank you, from the bottom of my heart, because there are cases that are still out there, that are unsolved . ... I waited and I trusted you, because you said have patience, have faith, and I did that.”
Clark said she and her family had gained a measure of closure through the arrest. She was not angry or bitter, she said, but her brother remains gone.
Troy Clark was willing to help people in life, she said. They grew up together in Virginia Beach, he was a “prankster” as a young man, with a heart, she said. He had returned to New Haven in recent years after a medical episode; they had spent some time together, for which she thanked God.
“He was a person who didn’t mind helping you. Sometimes, he would put himself at risk, knowing that it wasn’t the right thing to do. But my brother was a caring person; he loved people, he loved joking, he loved laughing,” said Veronica Clark. “He loved old cars — that was his passion.”
Mayor Justin Elicker offered condolences to the Clark family Thursday and said the city would be there to support them, now and in the future. Justice has virtue, he said — it can comfort a family, dissuade future wrongs — but it cannot bring Troy Clark back, he noted.
“I’m deeply, deeply sorry for the loss and the pain that you have experienced,” said Elicker. “We’re committed to helping you through this time and doing everything we can to support your family.”
He thanked Duff for his commitment to the city, and “the fact that you, literally, risked everything, in your duty to the community.”
Eaddy was held in lieu of a $2 million bail, Dominguez said, and scheduled to be arraigned in the coming days.