Bodycam video released by authorities shows knife-wielding man charging at Bridgeport officer

Officials say police responded to a report of a person acting erratically and brandishing a knife.

Nicole Alarcon Soares and Frank Recchia

May 20, 2024, 3:47 PM

Updated 26 days ago

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The Office of the Inspector General has released body camera video that shows the moment Officer Israel Colon fired three shots at a suspect who charged at Colon with a knife in each hand.
Police said it happened Thursday just before 6 a.m. on Birdseye Street in Bridgeport.
Officials said police responded to a report of a person acting erratically and brandishing a knife.
The suspect, Dale Stephenson, of Bridgeport, remains in the hospital and is listed in serious but stable condition.
Bridgeport resident Linda Allaway said she heard the gunfire and rushed outside.
"I think he was right, because he was out to hurt somebody, but he didn't know who he was out to hurt. He just took anybody. It could have been me," she said.
Another Bridgeport resident ,Harold Moore, said the gunfire woke him out of his sleep. Moore said Colon could have used a different measure to stop Stephenson.
"You can Tase a person, you can spray a person with pepper spray. It doesn't always have to come down to using a gun," he said.
Stephenson is facing a first-degree assault charge. His bond was set at $100,000.


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