Video of an officer-involved shooting in Hartford last week shows what appears to be the man who was shot and killed raising a knife in an attempt to stab a police officer.
The videos were part of a preliminary report released Monday by the Connecticut Office of Inspector General, which identified the man who was shot and killed as 53-year-old Everard Walker. The policeman who fired the shots that killed Walker was identified as Officer Alexander Clifford of the Hartford Police Department, according to the report.
According to the report, Walker had brandished a knife and was ordered to drop it by at least one officer during a scuffle that arose during an incident on Thursday at Walker’s apartment building at 990 Capitol Ave. Police were called to the building around 10 a.m. to assist the Capitol Region Mental Health Center with an evaluation.
According to Inspector General Eliot Prescott, Walker did not drop the knife when ordered to do so. He raised the blade in what allegedly appeared to be an attempt to stab Officer Geovanny Rivera, the report said.
Clifford drew his firearm and appeared to fire four shots at Walker, who received medical attention at the scene and was later pronounced dead at Saint Francis Hospital, according to Prescott.
A preliminary report from the state Inspector General said a man who was shot and killed by Hartford police last week raised a knife in an apparent attempt to stab an officer. (Connecticut Office of Inspector General)
According to the preliminary report, a family member of Walker called 211 for help while Walker was allegedly suffering from an “acute mental health crisis.” Two mental health workers from Capitol Region requested a response from police as they responded to the apartment building, the report said.
The mental health workers and police allegedly tried speaking with Walker at his third-floor apartment to determine if he needed medical attention or if he “presented a danger to himself or others,” Prescott wrote in the report. According to the report, Walker’s son and one of his daughters were there. Walker’s spouse arrived later during the incident.
Capitol Region staff spoke to Walker from the hallway through the open door to his apartment before police entered the unit, the report said. They retreated when they allegedly became concerned that he would throw a pot of boiling water at them, Prescott wrote.
After additional discussions, police went back into the apartment just before 11 a.m. when Walker allegedly tried to close the door and was being physically restrained by his son, the report said. A scuffle then ensued involving police, Walker and his children, the report said.
Video released from the incident included two short clips from Clifford and Rivera’s body cameras and one clip taken by Walker’s daughter using an iPad. Prescott also released a frame-by-frame version of the footage from Clifford’s camera. (Warning: The videos linked contain images that some viewers may find disturbing.)
According to the videos, Walker was shot about 15 seconds after an altercation broke out. A female can be heard screaming once things became physical.
In the frame-by-frame video, Walker can be seen raising what appears to be a knife in a stabbing motion.
“Walker appeared to be poised to stab Officer Rivera who had fallen backwards,” Prescott wrote.
The video taken using an iPad appears to show a female arguing with someone just before the scuffle broke out. She can be heard saying someone had “put his hands” on her, the video shows.
According to Prescott’s report, Walker was shot multiple times. An autopsy showed that he died of gunshot wounds to his torso, neck and right upper extremity. The death was ruled a homicide.
The results of a toxicology analysis are not yet available, Prescott said.
The shooting remains under investigation by Prescott, who is tasked with determining whether Clifford’s use of force was justified under Connecticut law.
The release of the preliminary report and video comes after multiple Hartford-area advocacy groups came together for a rally over the weekend and demanded transparency. In Connecticut, Prescott’s office is required to release video footage from officer-involved shootings within 96 hours of when they occur.
The advocacy groups — which included BLM860, New Britain Racial Justice, Muslim Justice Center, PowerUp CT, CT Palestine Solidarity Coalition, and Kamora’s Cultural Corner — were critical of police and their role in the shooting.
“Police were called to assist with transporting the father to the hospital during a mental health emergency,” the groups said in a joint statement. “Instead of receiving medical care and support, he was shot and killed by responding officers. The incident has devastated the family and shaken the Hartford community.”
“This was a call for help — not a call for execution,” the statement continued. “A family reached out for assistance during a mental health crisis, trusting that their loved one would receive care. Instead, he was met with deadly force. This is a profound failure of our emergency response system, and our community deserves answers.”
According to Hartford police Lt. Aaron Boisvert, the officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave, which he said is customary during investigations involving the Office of Inspector General.
Information from Courant reporter Stephen Underwood was used in this report.