'Trigger Happy' Hartford Cop Fired

HARTFORD, CT — Hartford Police Chief David Rosado announced that Officer Stephen Barone has been fired following an investigation into an incident where he told a group of young people that he was "trigger happy" in August.

Another internal investigation looked into his handling of a July 2018 traffic incident

"After reviewing the findings related to these two incidents, it’s clear to me that there’s no scenario in which Mr. Barone can return to his duties as a productive member of the Hartford Police Department," Rosado said in a public statement.

Barone was investigating a group of people who were find near an abandoned building around 9:30 p.m. on Heath Street. A woman in the group recorded the encounter and posted it to Facebook where it attracted thousands of views and comments critical of Barone. To sign up for free Greater Hartford news alerts and more, click here.

Barone was demoted from sergeant to officer following the incident and placed on desk duty.

"If anybody wants to fight or run, I'm a little trigger happy guys, I'm not going to lie and I... get paid a ton of money in overtime if I have to shoot somebody, don't do anything stupid," Barone said in the video.

An internal investigation also found that Barone violated department policy when he didn't call off a police chase in July, according to the Hartford Courant. Two officers drove the wrong way on I-91.

Below is Rosado's full statement and video of the encounter:

“Our success as a police department depends on our relationship with the community we serve,” said Chief Rosado. “Every day, the men and women of the Hartford Police Department are out doing good police work with professionalism and respect, and this officer’s conduct does not reflect the values of our agency. I did not make this decision lightly. We hold ourselves to high standards, and when we fall short, we take responsibility for it. After reviewing the findings related to these two incidents, it’s clear to me that there’s no scenario in which Mr. Barone can return to his duties as a productive member of the Hartford Police Department. As a department, we are committed to building and rebuilding a strong relationship with residents across our city based on mutual respect, accountability, transparency, and a shared desire to live in a strong Hartford.

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