Ex-Hamden Cop Pleads Guilty In 2019 Shooting

HAMDEN, CT — Former Hamden police officer Devin Eaton is scheduled to be sentenced in April after pleading guilty Thursday to one count of first-degree assault in connection with a shooting that injured a woman in New Haven in 2019, according to officials.

Eaton, 32, faces a sentence of five years in prison, suspended after 18 months, followed by three years’ probation under the terms of the plea deal, New Haven State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin announced in a news release. Eaton also has the right to argue for an entirely suspended sentence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 8.

Griffin said that as a binding part of the plea agreement with the state, Eaton has agreed that he will never again seek to become a law enforcement officer in Connecticut or any other state or territory of the United States.

Eaton was arrested by Connecticut State Police in October 2019 and was initially charged with first-degree assault and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.

The arrest stemmed from an incident that began unfolding around 4:20 a.m. on April 16, 2019, when Hamden Police received a 911 call about a newspaper delivery man being robbed at a Hamden gas station on Arch Street by a suspect in a red Honda Civic. The clerk told police that the suspect pulled a gun on the delivery man, asked him for money, and was also harassing a second customer.

A vehicle matching the description was found near Dixwell Avenue and Argyle Street. Eaton and Yale University Police Officer Terrance Pollock both were on the scene around 4:30 a.m. and multiple shots were fired at the Civic. The passenger, Stephanie Washington, was shot and seriously injured during the incident.

Washington was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said at the time.

The driver, Paul Witherspoon, wasn't injured in the incident and was taken to the Hamden Police Department for questioning. At the time of the shooting, neither Witherspoon nor Washington was in possession of a gun, according to the state attorney's office.

An investigation found that Eaton fired 13 shots in the direction of the Civic, with the last two fired with his arm extended behind him as he fled on Argyle Street seeking cover. Pollock, who fired three shots, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot "graze" wound to his right calf, which was determined to be the result of "friendly fire," according to state police. He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital and was treated and released on the same day. Pollock was not charged in the incident.

Following an investigation, Griffin found that Eaton's actions were not "objectively reasonable" and were unjustified.

In an update on Thursday night, Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett said the administration has been in contact with Eaton's union representative regarding his employment with the town.

"The union representative has advised us that Mr. Eaton intends to comply with the terms of his plea agreement and to immediately resign from employment with the Town of Hamden," Garrett said in an email. "Mr. Eaton’s resignation is expected by the close of business tomorrow, Friday January 14th."

See also:

• Hamden Officer 'Recklessly' Created Risk Of Death In Shooting: State's Attorney
• Firing Of Hamden Cop Recommended For Shooting In New Haven
• Internal Affairs Investigation To Move Forward Against Arrested Hamden Cop