Fatal Stratford Police Shooting Was Justified: Inspector General

STRATFORD, CT — Stratford police officers were justified in using deadly force in the fatal shooting of a 36-year-old man in February 2021, according to the state inspector general’s report.

Christopher Hagans, of Stratford, was killed in the shooting on Feb. 5, 2021, during an incident that began when Stratford officers tried to take Hagans into custody on a felony arrest warrant. An investigation found that at the time that the Stratford officers fired their weapons, Hagans was resisting arrest, displayed a loaded gun and (at some point) discharged the weapon, according to the report.

Connecticut Inspector General Robert J. Devlin Jr. issued his report Tuesday, concluding that Stratford police officers “used deadly force to defend themselves and nearby civilians from the threat of imminent danger posed by Christopher Hagans who was armed and uncooperative with police.”

The shooting happened around 7:35 p.m. on Main Street in the Putney section of Stratford. Before the shooting, Stratford police were assisting the Naugatuck Police Department with serving an arrest warrant for Hagans on charges including home invasion and strangulation.

Stratford police, who were sent to Hagans’ home to serve the warrant, had information indicating that Hagans was possible a gang member, “had multiple arrests including an arrest for robbery, was a PCP user, and had a history of resisting arrest,” according to the report. They considered him “armed and dangerous,” the report states.

As officers were conducting a surveillance check of Hagans’ home, he was seen leaving in a Dodge Charger. Police, in an unmarked vehicle, followed behind Hagans until his vehicle stopped for a traffic light at Main Street Putney.

Officers reported trying to attempt a motor vehicle stop at the traffic light by positioning a marked police vehicle in front of Hagans’ vehicle, while the unmarked vehicle stayed behind. Both police vehicles activated red and blue flashing lights while police officers gave verbal commands for Hagans to show his hands, according to officials.

“Stratford officers approached the Charger intending to take Hagans into custody on a felony arrest warrant,” the report states. “Hagans, who was in possession of a loaded handgun, refused to comply with officers’ repeated demands that he show his hands. When officers realized that Hagans had a gun, they fired shots into the Charger as it went down a snow-covered embankment. The car became stuck on a guardrail and was disabled in the snow.

“Hagans fled the vehicle on foot. He headed toward a civilian vehicle while pointing the gun at Stratford officers. Stratford officers fired additional shots at Hagans, fatally wounding him. At some point during the encounter, Hagans fired his gun one time.”

Officers told investigators they were concerned nearby civilians were at risk of being carjacked during the incident, according to the report.

Hagans was shot five times and the cause of death listed on the autopsy report was “gunshot wounds of the head, torso, and left upper and lower extremities.”

Devlin wrote in the report that Hagans’ conduct presented an “imminent and grave threat of serious physical injury or death to the officers and the civilian driver of the nearby vehicle. Accordingly, I conclude that, under the circumstances presented, the Stratford officers justifiably used deadly force.”

Read the full report here.

See related: Man Fatally Shot By Stratford Police, New Details Released