Cops: Teen fatally shot after carjacking
State trooper placed on leave after chase that began in Norwalk
NORWALK — A state police trooper has been placed on administrative assignment after fatally wounding a New Haven teen who allegedly brandished a knife while carjacking a ride-share driver in Norwalk.
Soulemane Murbarak, 19, was identified by state police as the person killed in Wednesday’s officerinvolved shooting.
Trooper Brian North fired his weapon after he saw Murbarak with a knife, state police said. The other troopers involved in the incident — who state police said did not fire their weapons — were identified as Trooper Joshua Jackson and Trooper First Class Ross Dalling.
North and Jackson have each been with state police for four and a half years. Dalling has been with state police for seven and a half years.
“In accordance with department policy, Trooper North has been placed on administrative assignment,” state police said.
The agency released information about the incident late Thursday afternoon, detailing what led to the deadly shooting.
“We determined that it wasn’t safe to pursue him. The risks outweighed the benefits.”
Norwalk Police Lt. Jared Zwickler
It started around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when Norwalk police pursued the stolen car from the parking lot of an AT&T store on Main Avenue and then onto the Route 7 connector before ending the chase — which reached speeds of 90 mph — when they approached Interstate 95.
“We determined that it wasn’t safe to pursue him,” Norwalk Police Lt. Jared Zwickler said. “The risks outweighed the benefits.”
Norwalk supervisors called off the pursuit, but a “be on the lookout” broadcast was issued to state police and other nearby departments with a description of the vehicle.
The bulletin — issued at 4:36 p.m. — also indicated that the driver was armed with a knife, state police said.
In a statement released Thursday, Melvin Medina, public policy and advocacy director of the ACLU of Connecticut, condemned state police for the pursuit, calling highspeed chases a “dangerous and deadly pandemic.”
“It is deeply concerning that despite the legislature taking action to try to rein in these deadly police decisions, 2020 has begun with (police) chasing and killing another person,” Medina said. “When police choose to chase someone in a car, they are escalating a situation and endangering the lives of police, pedestrians, and all motorists on that road.”
But state police pointed to the “vital information” that Norwalk provided about Murbarak being armed as the reason they pursued the vehicle.
The agency said its pursuit policy, adopted in September 2019, prevents troopers from normally chasing stolen vehicles unless the person has committed, is trying to commit or will imminently commit a crime of violence — actual or threatened.
The policy also allows troopers to pursue a vehicle if there is a need to take the person into custody in a timely manner because of the potential for harm to the public if they aren’t apprehended, state police said.
Soon after the alert was relayed, Troop G barracks in Bridgeport received 911 calls about a white Hyundai driving recklessly on Interstate 95 northbound. The vehicle was “driving both along the right shoulder and center median at a high rate of speed,” state police said.
At 4:46 p.m., the teen was seen on state Department of Transportation cameras driving in the median at high speeds just before Exit 22 of I-95 northbound.
State police dispatch monitored the driver until troopers were able to get behind the vehicle near Exit 36.
“Troopers attempted to stop the Hyundai and the driver struck two state police cruisers and continued northbound before exiting the highway off Exit 43 onto Campbell Avenue into the town of West Haven,” state police said.
On Campbell Avenue, the Hyundai hit a civilian’s vehicle and state police boxed in the driver.
Troopers, aided by West Haven police, ordered the driver to get out of the vehicle, state police said.
A Taser was used on Murbarak but it was ineffective, state police said. It was unclear which officer used the Taser.
“When the driver displayed a weapon (later determined to be a knife), a trooper on scene discharged his assigned duty pistol, striking the driver,” state police said.
West Haven and state police rendered medical aid to Murbarak after the shooting until medics took over and transported the teen to Yale New Haven Hospital. Murbarak later died from his injuries. No one else was injured.
The police-involved shooting is under investigation by Connecticut State Police’s Central District Major Crime Squad. The New London State’s Attorney’s Office will oversee the state police investigation.
Still, Medina voiced concerns in his statement about state police pursuing the vehicle after Norwalk called it off.
“Why, after Norwalk police deescalated the situation by calling off their pursuit, did Connecticut State Police decide to escalate by chasing this driver? Did state police follow Connecticut law, which prohibits police from shooting into a moving car unless there is ‘imminent threat of death’ to the police employee shooter or another person, and which prohibits police from putting themselves in front of a car, unless approved by their employer?” he questioned.
Medina called on state police to release the footage of the pursuit and the fatal shooting. Under state law, police are required to release footage of pursuits and use-of-deadly-force incidents within 96 hours.
State police said Thursday the agency plans to release the video footage and dispatcher audio linked to the incident in “the coming days.”
The gunshots from the Wednesday shooting were heard at two businesses on either side of the West Haven underpass where the shots rang out — Little Guy Discount Rental at 860 Campbell Ave. and Valvoline Instant Oil Change, 784 Campbell Ave.
Valvoline automotive technician, Josh Young, of Hamden, said he was under a car working when he jumped up from the sounds of about seven shots.
“Of course, I was worried. Stuff like that doesn’t happen around here,” Young said, noting he still didn’t know the full story by Thursday afternoon.
Prior to the carjacking, Murbarak allegedly walked into the AT&T store with a knife in his hand and began to argue with store employees, Zwickler said.
Zwickler said the teen tried unsuccessfully to steal an iPhone 11 before leaving and getting into a ride-share car that was waiting outside the store.
Police said the man demanded the driver’s cellphone once he got into the car. When the driver refused, he allegedly slapped the driver and stole his vehicle.
The manager of AT&T declined to comment when reached on Thursday.
State police ask anyone with information on the shooting to call 860-706-5656.