Man shot after charging at police with knife in CT park released from hospital, arrested
A man armed with a knife who was shot by police after running toward officers at a park in Naugatuck last month has been arrested.
Kyle O’Creene, 24, faces charges of attempted assault on a police officer, carrying a dangerous weapon, interfering with an officer and first-degree reckless endangerment, according to the Naugatuck Police Department.
He was charged Wednesday after being released from Waterbury Hospital, where he was taken following the shooting on April 25.
O’Creene was arraigned later in the day at Waterbury Superior Court. He has not entered a plea, according to court records.
O’Creene posted $25,000 bond following the hearing, records show. He is due back in court on June 6.
According to a preliminary report released by the state Office of Inspector General and body camera footage of the incident, officers shortly after 9 a.m. encountered O’Creene next to a picnic table when they responded to Baummer’s Pond Park on the report of a man with a knife acting erratically.
Police bodycam footage shows man armed with knife at CT park charging at officers before shooting
The footage, released by Inspector General Robert Devlin Jr., showed officers tell O’Creene multiple times to drop the knife.
Police also told O’Creene he would be tasered before an officer deployed the device, which was not effective, according to the preliminary report.
At multiple points during the encounter police tried to back away from O’Creene, but each time they did he marched closer to them while still armed with the knife, the body cam footage shows. Some officers had their guns drawn and others were holding tasers.
O’Creene at one point looked to be running toward police, who continued to back away and yell for him to drop the weapon.
A body camera worn by Officer Joseph Palhete showed him shout one more time for O’Creene to drop the knife seconds before he fired his gun twice and shot O’Creene.
After a brief hesitation, O’Creene then continued advancing toward officers, at which point Officer Crystal Hudson shot him, the footage shows.
O’Creene stumbled for a few seconds before police helped him down and provided him medical attention.
The use of deadly force by both officers remains under investigation by Devlin’s office.