Law enforcement rally planned to support state trooper accused of manslaughter - Hartford Courant

The state police union is urging law enforcement officers to rally in support of the trooper accused of manslaughter in the shooting death of a man after a high-speed chase into West Haven two years ago.

Trooper Brian North is set to appear in Milford Superior Court Tuesday. The state police union on Friday called on all police officers to gather before and during the arraignment and rally for North — “to show that we stand united and will defend police officers.”

Charged with first-degree manslaughter with a firearm, North faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum of five years behind bars if convicted.

Mubarak Soulemane was fatally shot at the end of a high-speed chase in a stolen car on Jan. 15, 2020. Footage from the scene shows troopers and a West Haven police officer descending on the car after it was stopped off Exit 43 of I-95 North and blocked by police cars. A video of the shooting shows North firing into the car after the trooper allegedly saw Soulemane with a knife.

[ Trooper charged with manslaughter in deadly 2020 police shooting of Mubarak Soulemane. ‘Let this arrest set an example,’ says civil rights attorney ]

Inspector General Robert J. Devlin Jr. concluded, however, that neither North nor two other officers outside the car were in imminent danger of having deadly force used against them. Devlin added that due to the police car blocking his door, Soulemane would not have been able to get out.

“Although [Soulemane] held a knife in his right hand, he was not using the knife against them nor presenting any imminent threat to do so,” he wrote.

Soulemane’s family had called for an independent investigation and for the trooper’s arrest after the shooting. They said he was a community college student who had schizophrenia. Mark Arons, a lawyer for the family, said there was a cloud over the family’s head since the shooting, and they looked forward to North being convicted.

“The family of Mubarak Soulemane is very happy that, after two-plus years, Trooper Brian North, who murdered Mubarak in West Haven in January 2020, may be brought to justice.

The state police union extended condolences to Soulemane’s family, saying, “No Connecticut state trooper ever intends to or has the desire to take the life of another human being.”

But the call to rally for North says, “We are all disappointed that the politically appointed Inspector General, independently, made the decision to prosecute Trooper North, who was forced to make a split-second decision during these dangerous and rapidly evolving circumstances.

“We believe Trooper North acted objectively reasonable during this violent encounter and we believe a jury will find reasonable doubt and acquit him of these serious charges, “ the notice said.

“This rally is about more than just the arrest of Trooper North,” the notice said. “It’s about sending a clear message to the politicians that a police officer’s job is inherently dangerous — and that ALL officers — regardless of the uniform they wear — will defend and support each other.”

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at [email protected]

source: https://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-br-ct-rally-for-trooper-north-20220429-hjf2r5k6fnaxpncadczntnx2ya-story.html

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