By Evan Lips
Register Staff

While protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, are demanding that a police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager be prosecuted, in Connecticut since 2001, there has only been one case out of 38 completed investigations of police use of deadly force in which an officer faced prosecution.
A Hartford police officer was acquitted in that case.

Michael Dearington, state’s attorney for the judicial district of New Haven, has served in his current role since 1987. In 27 years, he’s never elected to prosecute an officer who was found to have used deadly force in the line of duty in his district.
“All I can say is that the state gives a fair amount of latitude with respect to the use of deadly force,” Dearington said.
“I’ve investigated a lot of cases,” said Dearington, who is the longest-serving state’s attorney in Connecticut. “But I’ve never had enough to prosecute a guy.”

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Read the sidebar: ACLU: 14 deaths in Connecticut since 2005 after Taser use.

By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo
Investigations Editor
The Office of the Chief State’s Attorney has decided against pursuing criminal charges against any state employees or private citizens who received D-SNAP benefits they weren’t entitled to following Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Len Boyle said, “It ultimately came down to the allocation of resources.”
Boyle noted there were administrative and other remedies applied in the cases, such as disciplinary action against the state employees.
“All of these cases involved dollar amounts under $1,000,” Boyle said.
Dozens of state employees were terminated amid allegations of food stamp fraud following the August 2011 storm. However, all but four of 97 terminations were later overturned in arbitration.

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Read more reactions from lawmakers here.

By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo
Investigations Editor 

CHESHIRE >> The white shell of an old nursing home, the former Greenery Extended Care Center, has stood empty and crumbling for years behind gates with barbed wire and “No Trespassing” signs to keep people out.
But clearly people aren’t staying out. During a recent visit, the old nursing home building was accessible through an unlocked door and low, unblocked windows. The interior was filled with broken glass and graffiti. People have written their initials and messages like “Craze” and “Turn Around.”
The dilapidated property at 50 Hazel Drive is just one of the long-vacant properties in town that have become an eyesore. Many haven’t been properly secured from entry.

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Check out the full slideshow here. 

By Evan Lips
Register Staff
EAST HAVEN >> Robert Salatto of New Haven, whose accusation that former Police Officer Jason Zullo purposely rammed his motorcycle as he sped away from an attempted traffic stop resulted in the officer entering a guilty plea, recently settled a $330,000 civil suit he filed against the Police Department.
New Haven attorney Hugh Keefe, who represented the town in the matter, confirmed Friday that the parties reached a settlement but refused to confirm the dollar amount and declined to make any further comment.

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