Driver In Officer-Involved Shooting Arrested For Hit-And-Run: PD

NEW HAVEN, CT — The man who was driving a vehicle that was involved in an April police-involved shooting was arrested early Friday morning after he allegedly hit a bicyclist and led officers on a pursuit, according to police.

A bicyclist was struck around 12:19 a.m. at the intersection of Whalley and Sherman avenues, said Capt. Anthony Duff, New Haven Police spokesman. A city police officer was parked in a lot when he saw the crash. He called it in to dispatch and pursued the vehicle.

The pursuit went from Whalley Avenue to, Winthrop Avenue then to Crescent Street before ending on Osborn Avenue near Whalley Avenue. The vehicle occupants were detained safely, Duff said.

Paul Witherspoon, 21, of Hamden was arrested and is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. Officers seized a taser type stun gun from him, Duff said. Witherspoon and the occupants said they had a green light when the crash occurred.

He had two passengers in the vehicle, including Stephanie Washington, 22, who was shot by police during the April incident.

The bicyclist left the scene on foot before emergency medical responders arrived. Police are urging the bicyclist to come forward and seek medical treatment.

Witherspoon was charged with carrying a weapon in a motor vehicle, carrying a dangerous weapon, interfering with police, DUI, evading responsibility, engaging police in a pursuit, reckless driving and other motor vehicle violations.

State authorities are still investigating the officer-involved shooting that injured Washington and a Yale Police officer in April. The case has led to protests in Hamden and calls for reform at the Hamden Police Department.

Hamden Officer Devin Eaton and Yale Officer Terrance Pollack were placed on leave until the investigation is completed. Eaton activated his body camera partway through the incident and Pollack's camera wasn't activated. State Police Commissioner James Rovella said that the body camera use was inconsistent with policy that is set at the statewide level.

New Haven officers weren't involved in the incident.

The incident started after Hamden dispatchers got a 911 call that reported an attempted armed robbery of a newspaper delivery man at a Hamden gas station. The caller describes a black male and a black female passenger in a red two-car vehicle. The plate came back to a red Honda Civic.

Hamden then put a be-on-the-lookout alert to New Haven Police and said that the vehicle was heading toward New Haven, but Hamden Police didn't notify New Haven Police they would be entering New Haven, Rovella said.

No gun was found on Witherspoon or in his vehicle in that incident. Washington sustained non-life threatening injuries when she was hit while sitting in the front passenger seat. Witherspoon was shot at as he exited his vehicle and there was some preliminary indications that he was told to get out of his vehicle, Rovella said in April.