New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Officials: Gun seizures continue to rise
NEW HAVEN — The Police Department has seized more guns this year than last, while the rise of so-called ghost guns continues, officials said Tuesday.
Mayor Justin Elicker said Tuesday that the number of gun seizures remains in the upward trend with 171 guns confiscated so far this year, a 27.6 percent increase from last year.
Among those firearms, 37 of them were ghost guns — untraceable firearms without serial numbers that can be bought online and assembled at home, often from a kit — a nearly ninefold increase compared to last year when police only seized four. Elicker said ghost guns are “a real concern.”
Gun-related arrests also have increased this year to 149, compared to 133 last year, police said. The city has seen 80 non-fatal shootings so far this year, compared to 78 last year. There were 18 homicides last year, and eight so far this year, one of which occurred Monday on Thompson Street in the Newhallville neighborhood.
Michael Judkins, 26, of New Haven died in Monday's shooting; another unidentified 20-year-old man was being treated for “non-life-threatening wounds” in connection with that incident, according to the police.
Police Chief Karl Jacobson said Judkins had a history related to narcotics and weapons, and the shooting was a targeted incident that had something to do with individuals the victim was involved with in the past.
“This is definitely grouprelated violence,” Jacobson said. “We're afraid that being such a popular kid, there's people that will retaliate for him.”
With that concern in the department's mind, the Drug Enforcement Administration and NHPD detectives made an arrest Tuesday morning and seized a gun. Jacobson said the individual wasn't a suspect in the Monday shooting but related to possible retaliation. He encouraged community members with information to come forward.
Jacobson said he knew Judkins personally from police contact and from Newhallville basketball tournaments.
“Michael was an avid basketball player, very good in his team, normally won the championship,” he said. “It's a sad day when you have to go — I knew his mother from the basketball games — and go tell her with the detectives that he had passed.”
The chief declined to comment on further details as the case is under investigation.
Officer discipline case
Upon a Civilian Review Board recommendation that Jacobson punish Officer Mark Salvati for excessive use of force following a car crash in October 2019 — when Salvati kicked injured man Steven Freytes-Rivera — Jacobson said he will work more collaboratively with the board to educate it about the department's use of force policies.
The CRB's recommendation contradicted the department's internal investigation, which concluded that Salvati didn't use excessive force. Jacobson stood by the investigation results given the facts of the case.
“I'm not blaming the CRB,” Jacobson said. “I blame myself for that, I'm the chief, I should have gotten this working faster,” referring to giving the CRB more training on policies.
On Oct. 10, 2019, FreytesRivera, who was an injured suspect of a nearby shooting, fled the scene and later crashed a vehicle, police said. Salvati responded to the scene where FreytesRivera was on the ground in proximity to a handgun.
According to the police chief, Freytes-Rivera attempted to attack Salvati with a piece of glass after he was handcuffed, in which the officer commanded Freytes-Rivera to drop the glass and proceeded to kick the suspect.
“In my experience as a police officer, we could have Tasered the guy, could have sprayed the guy, but all those types of force hurt the person worse,” Jacobson said, noting that kicking was one of the safer ways to disarm a suspect.
Freytes-Rivera filed a complaint against Salvati and Detective James Marcum earlier this year, but the NHPD's internal investigation didn't find it to be valid.
The NHPD hasn't released body camera footage from Salvati.