Two state police officers have been suspended after the Connecticut Office of Inspector General launched an investigation into the use of deadly physical force during a high-speed motor vehicle pursuit in Colchester last November.
The incident was reported to the Office of Inspector General by the Connecticut State Police on Jan. 23. On Feb. 2, the state police turned over relevant reports and video footage, according to Inspector General Eliot D. Prescott.
Based on the preliminary investigation, the pursuit began when Trooper Wilfred J. Blanchette observed a silver 2006 Honda Accord allegedly speeding and driving erratically on Route 2A in Montville at 11:45 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2025, Prescott said.
According to Prescott, Blanchette determined that the license plates on the Accord allegedly did not match the vehicle but were assigned to a black BMW. Blanchette also said he believed the driver of the vehicle was intoxicated, Prescott said. As Blanchette activated his police lights and sirens to conduct a traffic stop, the Accord driver allegedly failed to slow down and fled onto Interstate 395 North.
The Accord continued north until it exited I-395 at Exit 13B and entered Route 2 West. During the pursuit, the Accord and the cruiser driven by Blanchette allegedly reached speeds up to 120 mph, according to Prescott.
On Route 2, another trooper deployed stop sticks, which managed to deflate one of the tires of the Accord and slow down the pursuit, Prescott said.
Blanche sought authorization to perform a PIT maneuver with the Accord to end the pursuit, which was granted by Sgt. Gordon L. Leslie of the Connecticut State Police, Blanchette’s body camera video shows (Warning: Explicit language).
“A PIT maneuver is also known as a ‘pursuit intervention technique’ or a ‘precision immobilization technique’ and is conducted when the driver of the pursuing vehicle intentionally strikes the fleeing vehicle in its rear corner, causing it to spin and come to an unplanned stop,” Prescott said. “The use of a PIT maneuver under many circumstances, and particularly at high speeds, constitutes the use of deadly physical force in light of the risk of harm it creates to the operator of the vehicle, its occupants, if any, and/or any bystanders.”
Blanchette then intentionally struck the rear quarter panel of the Accord at a speed in excess of 75 mph, but the collision was unsuccessful in stopping the vehicle, the dashboard camera video of the pursuit and collisions.
Blanchette next performed another intentional collision, which caused the Accord driver to lose control of the car and crash into the center-median guardrail of Route 2 where it came to a complete stop, the video shows.
Additional responding troopers attempted to remove the driver and passenger from the Accord, state police body camera footage shows. The driver, identified as Jesus Santiago of Manchester, complied with officers’ commands to put his hands in the air and he was placed under arrest. The passenger, identified as Tyloine Reddick, was taken into custody after a brief struggle during which a state police dog bit Reddick in the left leg, according to body camera footage.
According to state police, both Santiago and Reddick refused medical attention at the scene and were charged with various motor vehicle and narcotics offenses.
The investigation into the use of deadly physical force and the troopers’ subsequent conduct in the incident remains ongoing, Prescott said.
State police later released a statement Friday announcing the suspension of two officers involved in the incident.
“A motor vehicle pursuit in which a CSP trooper may not have complied with the Statewide Pursuit Policy is under CSP review,” state police said “During this incident, which occurred in the Troop E area, the trooper sought and obtained authorization from a supervisor to intentionally collide with a fleeing vehicle. No injuries were reported as a result of the collision and the operator and passengers of the fleeing vehicle were arrested.
“While review of this incident remains pending, the police powers of the involved trooper and sergeant have been suspended,” state police added. “The trooper and sergeant have been placed on administrative duty, and an Internal Affairs investigation has been initiated. A referral of the pursuit for potential investigation by the Office of the Inspector General has occurred.”
According to the state police, no further details were available for release at this time.
”Upon the conclusion of the Internal Affairs investigation and any OIG investigation which may occur, investigative results will be released to the public in full,” state police said.