CT Prosecutor Says No Police Conspiracy in Redding Attorney's Death: Report

REDDING, CT — Danbury State’s Attorney Sedensky said in a statement that there is no evidence of a cover-up by the Redding Police Department related to the death of a 35-year-old black lawyer, according to Fox 61 News.

Sedensky released a statement Friday in response to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, exactly two years since Gugsa "Abe" Dabela was found with a bullet hole in the back of his head in an overturned vehicle.

Relatives of Dabela allege police in the "mostly white town of Redding rushed to judgement" in declaring his death a "suicide," however Police Chief Douglas Fuchs said in a statment released to Patch that the term "suicide" was never used by the department or the State's Medical Examiner.

Fuchs said that Dabela died as a result of a "self-inflicted" gunshot wound. Dabela's family has launched an investigation and is working with the Connecticut chapter of the NAACP.

Sedensky's statement read in part:

Although the investigation is not yet complete, it has revealed no evidence of any conspiracy on the part of the Redding Police Department. The Redding Police Department has cooperated fully with the Office of the State’s Attorney and the State Police throughout this investigation...."

The Dabela family attorney stated in the suit that the "plaintiffs have endured severe emotional distress trying to convince various authorities and investigators that a wrong has been perpetuated against Mr. Dabela, his legacy and his loved ones."

Dabela's family and alleges police in Redding, "a mostly white town," rushed to judgement in ruling Dabela's death was due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound because he was black. It also alleges police violated his civil rights when they delayed processing his concealed pistol permit a year before his death.

The suit claims in the suit that between January through April of 2013, Dabela "was met with unlawful delay by the Redding Police Department in his efforts to obtain a concealed pistol permit which he was legally permitted to obtain and finally did obtain on April 9, 2013."

It continues:

"Nearly one year to the day after Mr. Dabela obtained his concealed carry permit, on April 5, 2014, during the very early morning hours, Mr. Dabela was murdered by Defendant Killer John Doe, by a single gunshot through the back of his head, with the bullet entrance wound approximately one inch behind the right ear and the exit wound approximately one inch behind his left ear."

The Redding Police Department found Dabela unresponsive in his vehicle after a rollover accident less than a mile away from his home, with a bullet wound through the back of his head. The Redding Police Department and the state Medical Examiner’s office determined that Dabela's death was due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The family's attorney said in the suit:

"The press release was distributed to an unknown number of media outlets, including the Associated Press, prior to notifying the family of Mr. Dabela of his untimely death, prior to a forensic pathology investigation to determine the nature and manner of death, and without even so much as performing a simple gunshot residue test of Mr. Dabela’s hands which, if this was indeed a suicide, would have positively resulted in detection of gunshot residue on at least one of his hands."

The lawsuit names 10 individuals including the Town of Redding municipality and the alleged "Killer John Doe."

Redding Police Chief Douglas Fuchs told Patch that he can not comment on pending litigation.

The family launched a Facebook page Justice4Abe. They have also issued a reward for up to $125,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of "the murderer or anyone who has obstructed justice in the case." http://www.justice4abe.com/reward/

Related:

• Family of Attorney Found Shot Sues Redding Police 2 Years After His Death
• Family of Dead Redding Man Believes He Didn't Commit Suicide
• CT NAACP, Redding Police Meeting on Suspicious Death of Young Black Attorney
• Family of Deceased Redding Attorney Launches #Justice4Abe Campaign
• CT NAACP to Investigate Redding Lawyer's Death