Police: Attorney Charged With Manslaughter In Fatal Shooting Last Year

LITCHFIELD — An attorney has turned himself into police today regarding a fatal shooting that took place near a Litchfield legal office nearly a year ago.

State police from Troop L in Litchfield said today 76-year-old Robert L. Fisher, of 525 E. Hyerdale Drive, Goshen, was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter with a firearm in connection with the incident.

State police today said Fisher turned himself in to authorities at 3 p.m. Wednesday on an active warrant for his arrest.

He was processed without incident, police said.

He is scheduled to appear in Torrington Superior Court May 23 at 9 a.m., police said.

Fisher, an attorney with Cramer & Anderson, which has an office in Litchfield, is being charged in connection with the shooting death of 39-year-old Torrington resident Matthew Bromley, who was shot in the head.

Fisher has claimed self defense, but witness testimony released in the affidavit for Fisher's arrest doesn't corroborate Fisher's claims, according to court documents.

As a result, state police sought and received a warrant for Fisher's arrest.

According to the affidavit for Fisher's arrest, Fisher claimed he was assaulted by the victim at the law office's parking lot at 46 West St.

Fisher said the man followed him into the law office's driveway, opened his car door, punched him in the face and said "he was going to kill me," according to court documents.

Fisher said he did not know the victim at the time, but the subsequent investigation revealed the victim had previously called the legal office for help in purchasing the victim's mother's home, which was being foreclosed upon, reads the affidavit.

According to court records, Fisher told the individual — who turned out to be the victim — that his law office doesn't do foreclosures.

There was no reported contact between the victim and Fisher until the incident last June, according to the affidavit.

Police interviewed several witnesses to the incident, which was in the center of town, and witness testimony led officers to seek Fisher's arrest.

While witnesses said they saw an altercation, the details of the incident didn't corroborate Fisher's version of the incident, according to court papers.

For example, police said there was no witness testimony indicating the victim reached for and grabbed Fisher's firearm, which was identified as a 9mm Ruger.

Fisher had claimed such as justification for the shooting, according to court documents.

Police said two separate witnesses reported the victim's hands were at his side when the fatal shot was fired, according to the affidavit.

In addition to being an attorney, Fisher is a military veteran who is a National Rifle Association-licensed pistol instructor and has been certified as such since 2001, police said in the affidavit.