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A police officer who fatally shot a man who was beating his father with a baseball bat in Meriden on Sunday had to fire nearly 20 rounds at the man before the son finally fell backwards, stopping the attack.
Body camera footage from the police officer who fired the shots, identified as Officer Anthony Offiaeli of the Meriden Police Department, showed the brutality of the bat attack and the moments that preceded the shooting. The footage was released Tuesday along with a preliminary report from the Office of Inspector General, which is investigating to determine if the shooting was justified under Connecticut law. (Warning: Footage contains graphic images and language)
In his preliminary report, Inspector General Eliot Prescott identified the assailant who was shot multiple times as 38-year-old Robert Lee Jenkins III. Though Prescott did not name the victim in his report, he has been identified as 69-year-old Robert Jenkins, Jr.
According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Jenkins III died from multiple gunshot sounds of the torso. Jenkins, Jr., died of blunt force head injuries. Both deaths were ruled a homicide, a spokesperson for the medical examiner said.
According to Prescott, officers responded to a home on Sagamore Road around 10 a.m. in connection with an active domestic violence incident. Offiaeli’s body camera footage shows him arrive first to the scene, at which point he suddenly shifts his cruiser into park, rushes out from the vehicle and radios in for backup to “step it up.”
Offiaeli immediately begins shouting for Jenkins III to drop the bat as he can be seen on the front lawn viciously striking his father, the footage shows.
“Put the (expletive) bat down, put the (expletive) bat down,” Offiaeli shouts with his gun drawn. “Put it down.”
As he approaches, Offiaeli’s body camera captures Jenkins III repeatedly striking his father with the bat. Though the camera becomes covered at various points while Offiaeli uses his radio, Jenkins III can be seen striking his father at least eight times as he lies helplessly on the ground, the footage shows. Before it was released, Jenkins, Jr. was blurred out from the footage.
“Put it down,” Offiaeli shouts one more time.
He then begins telling Jenkins III “I’m gonna (expletive)…” before rapidly firing his gun about five times.
Jenkins III can be seen continuing to raise the bat over his head and down onto his father before Offiaeli fires two more shots, the footage shows. The assault, however, did not stop there, as Jenkins III appeared unfazed by the shots and continues striking Jenkins, Jr.
As he moves in closer, Offiaeli appears to fire about 11 more shots before Jenkins III finally begins to fall backwards. The 56 seconds of footage cuts off as backup officers appear to be arriving at the scene.
According to authorities, Jenkins, Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene. Jenkins III was given medical attention at the scene before being rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:30 p.m., Prescott said.
The toxicology report from Jenkins III’s autopsy was not yet available, Prescott wrote in his preliminary report.
Prescott’s office is investigating to determine whether the shooting was objectively reasonable under Connecticut law. The office is being assisted by the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad, the Meriden Police Department and the New Haven Judicial District State’s Attorney’s Office.
According to Meriden police, the investigation into the killing of Jenkins, Jr. remains ongoing and is being handled by state police.
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