A Connecticut police officer who fatally shot a man as he tried to flee in a stolen vehicle while being attacked by a police dog was justified in using deadly force while inside the car, according to a report issued Thursday by the state鈥檚 Office of Inspector General.
It was both 鈥渞easonable and justified鈥 for West Hartford Officer Andrew Teeter to fire five rounds into the torso of Mike Alexander-Garcia on Aug. 8, 2023, to 鈥渄efend himself and others from what he reasonably believed to be a threat of serious injury or death,鈥 Inspector General Robert J. Devlin, Jr. wrote in the report.
The document comes four months after the family of Alexander-Garcia naming Teeter, the West Hartford police and the town as defendants. It alleges violations of Alexander-Garcia鈥檚 constitutional rights, state laws and police policies and procedures. The family has also called for a federal civil rights investigation of the department, alleging racial profiling was involved.
Lawyers for the family on Thursday released a statement saying they were 鈥渄eeply disappointed鈥 in the inspector general report and maintain Alexander-Garcia鈥檚 death was 鈥渃ompletely unnecessary鈥 and the result of 鈥渙ver-aggressive鈥 police work.
鈥淗ad Officer Teeter made different decisions that day, Mike would still be alive. We know what Mike did that day. But it is the job of our police officers to mitigate danger and risk rather than increase it,鈥 the lawyers said, noting they will 鈥渃ontinue to seek justice and accountability on behalf of Mike and his family by all means possible.鈥
The chaotic and deadly 2023 confrontation occurred during the evening rush hour on a busy local street in the Hartford suburb. Police had received a report of a stolen vehicle. They used tire-deflation devices to try and stop it, but the vehicle kept moving before eventually crashing. Alexander-Garcia, who was inside, abandoned the car, tried unsuccessfully to take two occupied vehicles before running into a nearby car service center and getting into a Toyota RAV4 with the keys in the ignition.
Teeter sent the police dog into the vehicle through an open car window and ordered the dog to bite Alexander-Garcia. Teeter also got into the RAV4. But Alexander-Garcia, who began to drive off, ignored the bites, Teeter鈥檚 orders to stop and repeated threats to shoot and continued to drive away, the inspector general鈥檚 office determined.
Before he was shot, Alexander-Garcia is heard on Teeter鈥檚 body camera saying, 鈥淟et me out. Please. Please Officer,鈥 according to a transcript included in the report.
The officer shot Alexander-Garcia while he was driving away recklessly, hitting Teeter鈥檚 cruiser, another vehicle and a stack of tires before crashing into a utility pole. Alexander-Garcia was treated at the scene and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The inspector general鈥檚 investigation determined it was 鈥渞easonable鈥 for Teeter to deploy the dog and to get inside the vehicle himself. But the lawyers for Alexander-Garcia鈥檚 family said the actions were overly aggressive.
鈥淟ifting a police dog into the car Mike was in and then jumping into the car created the situation that led Officer Teeter to shoot Mike five times,鈥 according to their statement. 鈥淭his was over-aggressive police work that led to tragic results."
