Officers’ ‘Use Of Deadly Force’ Justified In North Haven Standoff: Inspector General

NORTH HAVEN, CT — Three members of the South Central Regional SWAT team were found to be justified in using deadly force during a standoff with a barricaded man in August 2024 in North Haven, according to a report by the Office of the Inspector General.

Connecticut Inspector General Eliot D. Prescott released a report Wednesday regarding the officer-involved shooting that ultimately resulted in the arrest of Robert Mazurek after a nearly 14-hour standoff.

The incident, which involved an exchange of gunfire between Mazurek and police, took place Aug. 20, 2024, in the 100 block of Cloudland Road in North Haven.

The investigation found starting late in the evening on Aug. 19, 2024, and continuing through the night to the morning of Aug. 20, 2024, Mazurek had barricaded himself in his house and was armed with a shotgun and had other firearms in the house, according to the report.

“In his communications with a SWAT team negotiator, he was erratic and frequently hostile,” Prescott wrote in the report. “Several times he threatened to shoot officers. Starting at approximately 5:30 a.m. on August 20th, Mazurek began firing shotgun rounds at the officers present.”

In response, Prescott said the officers returned fire from their positions outside of the residence, and no one was injured during the incident.

“I have determined that, under the totality of these circumstances, the officers’ use of deadly force was objectively reasonable and, therefore, legally justified,” Prescott wrote. “Their use of deadly force was necessary and in response to Mazurek’s repeated and ongoing use of deadly force against them and other officers on scene.”

Read Prescott’s full report here.

See also: Man Threatened To Kill Officers During Standoff In North Haven: Officials