Police body camera footage shows struggle before deadly police shooting in Hartford

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A Hartford police officer yells, “He’s got my gun,” seconds before the driver of a fleeing car was fatally shot Friday during a frantic struggle with at least three cops, body camera footage released Monday shows.police body camera footage
Alphonso Zaporta, 41, appears to attack the officers after they approached his car about 9:15 p.m. Friday following a brief pursuit, officials said. The body camera videos start when officers get out of their vehicles and run toward Zaporta as he continues to flee on the I-84 West on-ramp by Capitol Avenue.
Zaporta opens the driver’s side door and appears to lunge at an officer before another officer, Rocky Last, arrives and clashes with Zaporta on the driver’s seat, the video shows. Last has Zaporta in a headlock inside the car before Det. Zack Sherry arrives and jerks Zaporta’s arm, turning him around inside the vehicle while he is still struggling with Last.
One of three officers involved in the struggle loops around to the passenger’s side of the car and yells, “You’re gonna get shot, bro," before three shots are heard. Fifteen seconds pass between when Last yells about losing his gun and Sherry fires on Zaporta.
"During those moments, it’s clear our officers lives were at risk,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said at a press conference Monday.
Zaporta is seen being dragged backwards from the car by his legs, falling face down on the ground, as shots are heard on the video. While blurry and somewhat frenetic, the video appears to show a gun falling from Zaporta’s hand as the officer fires the fatal shots.The incident began near Park Terrace and Russ Street, where officers tried to pull Zaporta over in connection with a “gun-related activity," Interim Police Chief Jason Thody said.
“It was more than just a traffic stop, it was also part of an investigation into gun-related activity that happened earlier in the month,” Thody said.
The officers were investigating a July 9 incident in which Zaporta reportedly fired several shots out of a moving car on Lawrence Street, according to law enforcement records provided by a source.