Posted on 11/09/2014 2:57:56 AM PST by billorites
The shooting of a grandmother during a drug raid this summer was accidental and no charges will be brought against the federal agent involved, New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster announced Thursday.
Lillian Alonzo, 49, suffered non-life-threatening injuries when she was shot in her 110 Beech St. apartment on Aug. 27.
The investigation determined that the handgun of Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Michael Connolly discharged when the agent tried to kick in a locked bedroom door and lost his balance.
The report said Connolly will not face criminal charges.
While the shooting was serious and unfortunate, the report reads, it was accidental.
“There is no evidence of serious blameworthiness in this conduct,” it says.
Alonzo has returned to her apartment, said her son in a telephone interview from Florida. No one was home when a reporter and photographer visited Thursday afternoon.
The son, Daniel Nunez, said the bullet, which went through Alonzo’s left arm and penetrated her torso, remains lodged in her ribs. Medicaid has not paid for Alonzo’s physical therapy, which he said she needs to regain control of the arm.
He said that based on the layout of the room, he thinks it is impossible that his mother could have been shot by someone who was facing the door.
“She says she was innocent,” he said his mother told him after the shooting. She then added: “I don’t know why they came to my home.”
In the meantime, the apartment was ransacked and furniture was destroyed in a fruitless search for drugs, he said.
“They should give my mom the help she needs. They destroyed everything; they tore up the apartment,” Nunez said. He said the DEA should apologize for its actions.
The raid coincided with the arrest of two of Alonzo’s adult daughters and others on trafficking charges involving oxycodone. The family has said no drugs or weapons were found in Alonzo’s Beech Street apartment.
Alonzo has not been charged with any crimes, and federal prosecutors have said that is unlikely.
The DEA referred a reporter to Foster’s office, and would not respond to an email asking about an apology and therapy bills.
“Thanks for the opportunity ... but we have nothing to add,” DEA spokesman Anthony Pettigrew said.
According to the eight-page report, Alonzo, along with a friend named Delores Minaya, Alonzo’s daughter and Alonzo’s two grandchildren, were in the apartment at the time of the raid.
Alonzo told authorities she was in the kitchen with at least five officers, who were armed with long guns. “She heard a shot and then felt the shot,” the report said.
Alonzo, her 10-year-old daughter and Minaya gave brief statements to authorities at the scene, but Attorney General’s Office investigators could not find them later, the report said. In her initial comments, Minaya told authorities that she and Alonzo were grabbing the children when Alonzo was shot.
Alonzo’s family has been speaking to an attorney about the incident, Nunez said.
Connolly and officers involved in the raid consented to interviews, the report reads.
Once the six armed agents entered the apartment, they quickly searched the bedrooms.
One was locked, and Connolly kicked the locked door twice to open it. The second time, his boot went through the hollow door, which splintered and caught the boot as he tried to retract his leg.
“Because he was caught with his left foot in the door, Connolly began to stumble toward his right shoulder, falling into the open room where he was standing,” the report reads.
As he stumbled backward, he heard a gunshot. Once he regained his feet, Connolly saw his left arm was locked and the handgun looked extremely black.
“He saw his trigger finger along the slide of the gun. He did not remember feeling recoil.
“He felt time slow down and wondered if the shot he heard was from him. He wondered how that happened,” the report reads.
As Connolly regained his hearing, he realized that his fellow officers thought they were being shot at. Connolly holstered his gun and told his fellow officers he had an accidental discharge.
The report concluded that Connolly had exercised reasonable care.
His handgun was pointed down and his finger was off the trigger while kicking the door.
“It was only because he fell backward and his left hand hit the door frame that the gun fired,” the report reads.
Alonzo’s daughters still face federal drug charges; they are grown women and should know better, Nunez said.
But he said his mother has nothing to do with drugs and doesn’t even drink alcohol.
“That woman has killed not even a cockroach,” he said
Connolly stated that the only time he would ever place his finger on the trigger is to shoot. Although he does not remember feeling his hand strike anyt hing or feeling any recoil, he noted it was possible his left hand slammed against the molding and that is what stopped him from falling to the ground, allowing him to regain his balance. He also noted that it was possible that when a person falls with on e hand, the other hand can crunch in “sympathetic discharge.”
Charge her with theft of government property. /sarc
seems to be the norm these days
Mike
Unfortunately the DEA and the DOJ have poisoned the ‘well’ when it comes to believability and impartial internal review.
A civil trial is the course that may be needed here.
First of all, it is a NEGLIGENT discharge (vs. “Oh gee, I had an accident and tinkled in my panties when the gun, er, ah - went off”). NEGLIGENT.
And, second of all, guns don’t just “go off” all on their own. Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until ready to shoot, you numb-nuts.
And if that doesn’t work-
I’d turn a blind eye to a “get even” with the jbt’s that destroyed the woman’s life. Find out the names of the mutts who tossed up her place. Get a bit medieval with the shooter.
It’s called revenge.
… tried to kick in a locked bedroom door and lost his balance.
Finger on the trigger, where do these people get their training? If a common citizen accidently shot an LEO would the result be the same?
Accident Allocation is government controlled transparency.
Don’t even.
Bust into my home, you will leave in a bag.
No ... but you never see them alone ... so ....
Yes, it’s all bull shite. I don’t give a rats rear end how it happens, the numb nut MOFO is still responsible for every round that comes out of his weapon. It is negligence and at the very least, he should lose his job, but he should face a jury of his peers. There is NO such thing as an accidental discharge.
He finger was certainly on the trigger which is against every rule of gun safety. Guns don’t just “go off” otherwise. He was sloppy and negligent.
Yes but he got home safe so it’s all good.
What do you think would happen to you if your weapon “accidentally discharged” and injured someone?
One standard for them, a different one for us.
That is NOT the expression of equality under the law.
Yep, they’re probably going to send her a bill for the cost of the bullet.
I think law officers need to follow the motto: FIRST DO NO HARM! In Houston they do high speed chases all the time and so many innocents are getting crashed into and killed. They need to do the Slow Speed Chases like they do in California. MOST Of the time they catch the culprit and the innocent families don’t have to die in a horrendous crash!
There is no such thing as an ACCIDENT when you have a LOADED WEAPON in your HAND, He and every other Jack Booted Thug belong in PRISON. What a Country
Police officers should be held to a higher standard of conduct than regular citizens, but instead they are routinely held to a lower standard by feckless AGs.
Somebody here said it exactly right:
“. . . keep yer booger hook off the bang switch . . . “
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