Glastonbury police: Teen admitted trying a 'suicide by cop'

Alex Wood, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·3 min read
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Mar. 24—The Glastonbury teenager who is charged with attempting to assault police in a March 15 confrontation on Long Hill Drive admitted in electronically recorded statements that he was attempting a "suicide by cop," according to a police affidavit.

Officer Steven Gillette managed to shoot the suspect — Ethan Coelho, 18, of 57 Long Hill Drive — with a Taser stun gun, according to the affidavit, by Agent Brian Barao, who based this information on body camera footage. The Taser shot caused Coelho to fall forward onto the pavement and drop the pocketknife he had been wielding, according to the agent.

A civilian's cellphone video showed three police officers holding Coelho at gunpoint before two more officers arrived, and two officers handcuffed Coelho.

ATTEMPTED ASSAULT

DEFENDANT: Ethan Coelho, 18, of 57 Long Hill Drive, Glastonbury

CHARGE: Attempted assault on public safety personnel

STATUS: Free on $75,000 bond; due April 18 in Manchester Superior Court

But before Coelho was under police control, the agent reported, he chased Gillette with a knife, getting within 5 feet of him by Gillette's estimate.

Just before Gillette Tased him, Coelho came at Officer Carlos DaCruz with his hands raised near his head, as DaCruz yelled repeatedly, "Get that knife out of your hand!" and Coelho repeatedly yelled back, "I want to die."

Gillette and Coelho were both hit by vehicles during the incident.

DaCruz's police cruiser hit Gillette, according to the agent. A witness reported seeing a small, silver car hit Coelho, who was on foot, the agent added.

Police said after the incident that the suspect was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Attempts Friday to learn how seriously Gillette was hurt didn't immediately succeed.

The incident started when police received a call from a male at 106 Long Hill Drive who said he was "a suicidal person" before hanging up, according to the agent.

Gillette was the first officer on the scene. Bodycam footage shows Coelho walking toward him on the sidewalk, while reaching toward his right waistband and pocket area.

"Coelho then began walking toward Officer Gillette, with his right hand balled in a fist and raised up near his head consistent with holding a small edged weapon," the agent wrote. Coelho then broke into a run, his right fist still raised, according to the agent.

Gillette drew his sidearm and retreated backward on Long Hill Drive before turning his back to Coelho and running while looking back toward Coelho. The bodycam doesn't show DaCruz's cruiser hit Gillette, as Gillette's jacket blocks the shot, the agent reported.

When Gillette turned around, his bodycam showed Coelho lying face down on the sidewalk on the south side of the road. But even as the officers held him at gunpoint, he stood up, which is when DaCruz ordered him to drop the knife and Gillette Tased him.

Based on bodycam footage taken in the ambulance, the agent reported, Coelho said, "I wanted to die" and "I was trying to get shot." He agreed with an officer's description of the incident as "a suicide by cop kinda thing."

The investigation found that Coelho "has a history of physically aggressive behavior and was notified approximately 20 minutes before the incident that he not be allowed back on school campus," the agent wrote.

Due to a "risk protective order" issued for Coelho in September, weapons belonging to his father were seized, the agent reported. He added that it was confirmed nine days before the incident that Coelho didn't have direct access to guns.

He is free on $75,000 bond and is due April 18 in Manchester Superior Court.

For updates on Glastonbury, and recent crime and courts coverage in North-Central Connecticut, follow Alex Wood on Twitter: @AlexWoodJI1, Facebook: Alex Wood, and Instagram: @AlexWoodJI.