MICHAEL A. JEFFERSON ATTORNEY AT LAW S75 MAIN STREET EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06512 Tel. 203-787-5683 Fax. 203-777-4266 E-MAIL miefferson.esq@gmail.com February 8, 2021 State of Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice Office of the Chief State's Attorney Attn: Richard J. Colangelo, Jr. 300 Corporate Place Rocky Hill, CT 06067, Re: Investigation of Anthony “Chulo” Vega-Cruz Dear Attorney Colangelo, As you are fully aware, on or about March 3, 2020 the former State’s Attorney for the Hartford Judicial District, Attorney Gail Hardy, released her findings regarding the tragic death of 18 year cold Anthony “Chulo” Vega-Cruz. Mr. Vega-Cruz was shot and killed by Wethersfield Police Officer Layau Eulizier on the Silas Deane Highway on April 20, 2019. General Statutes Section 51-277, provides as follows: “(a) Whenever a peace officer, in the performance of such officer’s duties, uses physical force upon another person and such person dies as a result thereof, the Division of Criminal Justice shall cause an investigation to be made and shall have the responsibility of determining whether the use of physical force by the peace officer was appropriate under section 53a-22. The Division shall request the appropriate law enforcement agency to provide such assistance as is necessary to determine the circumstances of the incident. (b) In causing such an investigation to be made, the Chief State’s Attorney shall, (1) as provided in section 51-281, designate a prosecutorial official from a judicial district other than the judicial district in which the incident occurred to conduct the investigation. (c) Upon the conclusion of the investigation of the incident, the division shall file a report with the Chief State’s Attorney which shall contain the following: (1) The circumstances of the incident, (2) a determination of whether the use of physical force by the peace Officer was appropriate under section 532-22, and (3) any future action to be taken by the Division of Criminal Justice as a result of the incident. The Chief State’s Attorney shall provide a copy of thechief executive officer of the municipality in which the incident occurred and to...the chief of police of such municipality, as the case may be.” ‘While this incident occurred in the jurisdiction of the New Britain Judicial District your predecessor assigned the case to State’s Attorney Gail Hardy of the Hartford Judicial District. After an eleven month investigation she issued her report. According to Attorney Hardy, her findings were “based upon reports and records gathered by CDMCS from Wethersfield Police Department, Manchester Police Department, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, results of forensic examinations by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Forensic Science Laboratory, witness statements and reviews of dash camera video from Wethersfield Police Department and surveillance videos from Wethersfield establishments.” Despite finding that Officer Eulizier violated numerous departmental policies and the “reasonableness” of his actions required an examination by “the trier of facts,” Attorney Hardy ruled that Officer Eulizier’s use of deadly physical force was objectively reasonable and therefore justified under Connecticut General Statutes Section 53a-22 (c)(1). The family and its attorneys vehemently disagree with Attorney Hardy's legal logic and its application in this case. Her conclusion is flat out wrong and not supported in any way by the facts as presented. Additionally, Attorney Hardy's decision not to seek reappointment to her former position in the face of intense public pressure against her reappointment raises numerous questions regarding her ability to adequately investigate this tragic incident, Thus, we are requesting that this investigation be nullified immediately and your office assign a new State’s Attorney to re-investigate this tragic incident. To do anything less perpetuates the longstanding distrust that many residents of this state have for our criminal justice system. IF you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at the number or address (including email) listed above. Very truly yo WE ce: Scot Esdaile, President State Conference, NAACP Dave McGuire, Executive Director ACLU-Connecticut Senator Douglas McCrory Senator John W. Fonfara