Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
MANCHESTER, Conn. — A 58-year-old man is facing multiple charges after he advanced toward a female officer with a knife.
Joseph Diloreto, 58, was charged Tuesday with attempted first-degree assault, assault on public safety personnel and second-degree threatening after he was released from the hospital, according to Manchester Police Chief William Darby.
Diloreto was held on $250,000 bond and is slated to appear in the Superior Court in Manchester on Wednesday, Darby said.
The body-worn camera video shows Diloreto trying to grab Manchester Police Officer Kaylee Ouellette’s hand while telling her to get out of the apartment. An unknown woman who was in the apartment can be seen standing near Diloreto and can be heard yelling “oh my God” when Ouellette deploys her Taser in an attempt to get the man under control, the video shows.
Seconds earlier, Ouellette warned him she would use her Taser if he didn’t stop, the footage shows. Diloreto can be heard yelling, “shoot me, shoot me,” according to the video.
When the Taser failed to stop him, the officer backed out of the apartment with Diloreto following with a knife in his hand, the video shows.
“Put it down, I’m going to shoot you, put the knife down,” Ouellette repeatedly yelled, the video shows.
Diloreto ignored her commands, calling the officer names, and charged toward her while yelling, “hit me, hit me, hit me” several times, the video shows.
Ouelette fired three shots, yelling “shots fired” into her radio as Diloreto continued running toward her, the video shows. She then fired several more shots, finally striking him in the upper left thigh, according to a report by Inspector General Judge Robert Devlin who is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
After Diloreto fell to the ground, the officer was able to get the knife and handcuff him, the report said. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Darby said Monday.
Devlin’s investigation will determine if Ouellette was justified in shooting Diloreto. It is unclear if the spray of gunfire hit nearby apartments as Ouellette fired toward Diloreto in a courtyard area.
Ouellette has been with the department for four years, Darby said. In accordance with department policy, she was placed on administrative leave after the shooting pending the investigation, Darby said. An internal affairs investigation will take place to determine if any department policies were violated, he said.
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