State trooper justified in shooting suspect with knife in Brooklyn: Inspector General

BROOKLYN, Conn. (WTNH) – Officials with the Connecticut Office of Inspector General (OIG) say a Connecticut state trooper was justified in shooting a suspect during an attempted knife attack last May.

While serving an eviction order on Tiffany Street on May 9, 2023, two troopers were confronted with 59-year old Byron Harvey making suicidal remarks and threatening to hurt them.

A three-minute body-cam video released from the OIG in May showed Harvey told the officers “you’re going to have to shoot me” while holding a “large military-style” knife in his hand.

When asked why they would need to do that, Harvey told them because if they don’t, “I’m going to get at least one of you.”

As he approached the troopers, one discharged his TASER and the other- Trooper Romello Lumpkin- fired a shot, hitting Harvey in the abdomen. Harvey was hospitalized but survived.

In a report released Tuesday, the Connecticut Office of Inspector General said Lumpkin’s use of deadly force was justified under Connecticut law because he honestly believed they “faced imminent use of deadly physical force against them.”

The report also includes an OIG interview with Harvey about a week after the incident, during which he said he had a knife to protect himself from police and he knew “they” were coming to evict him.

When asked his intentions when moving towards troopers with the knife, he said “I just wanted to get it over,” and confirmed he meant to harm at least one of them. He also said he hoped the police would hurt him.

After being released from the hospital, he was taken into police custody and charged with first-degree attempted assault and related charges. His case is pending in the Danielson Superior Court.

Anyone experiencing mental health challenges or suicidal thoughts is encouraged to contact the 24-hour 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting “988.”

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