Middletown Retaliatory Shooting Investigation Leads To Arrest Of Meriden Man

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A 23-year-old Meriden man has been arrested in connection with a June shooting in Middletown that police said was part of a series of retaliatory shootings involving groups of people in Middletown and Meriden.

Middletown and Meriden police said they investigated multiple shootings during May and June that involved the same groups of individuals.

On June 15, Middletown police responded to a reported shooting in the Westlake Drive and Afton Terrace area. Investigators found multiple .45-caliber handgun rounds and .223-caliber rifle rounds in the roadway.

No one was struck by gunfire, but the rounds caused property damage and hit an unoccupied vehicle, police said.

Detectives with the Middletown Police Major Investigations Unit identified Justice Roman, 23, of Meriden, as a suspect. Police said Roman also had several outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court in connection with previous arrests, as well as a warrant stemming from an armed robbery case in Meriden.

Over the following days, detectives continued searching for Roman.

On June 24, the Waterbury Police Department's Crime Suppression Unit located Roman in a vehicle. Police said the vehicle fled and struck a police cruiser before it was stopped. Roman was taken into custody and police said several weapons were found in his possession.

Middletown detectives subsequently determined that weapons recovered from Roman were connected to the June 15 shooting on Westlake Drive, according to police.

An arrest warrant was obtained charging Roman with criminal attempt at first-degree assault, possession of an assault weapon and criminal possession of a firearm, police said.

Roman was transferred to Middlesex Superior Court on Aug. 19, where Middletown police arrested him on the warrant.