By Lisa Backus
Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Connecticut’s inspector general concluded that a city police officer was justified in the shooting of a man who was attacking a female officer in October 2024.
Huntley Jackson, 45 was shot by Bridgeport Police Officer Jesse Jimenez after he had stabbed Officer Marie Cetti in the back of the neck twice as the police responded to a report of an “emotionally disturbed person” on Oct. 5, 2024, a report issued Tuesday by state Inspector General Eliot Prescott said.
Prescott determined after a year-long investigation that Jimenez was justified in the shooting, according to the report.
“Based on our investigation, I conclude that, under the totality of the circumstances, Officer Jimenez reasonably believed that Jackson posed an immediate threat of serious injury or death to Officer Cetti,” Prescott said in the report. “I find that Officer Jimenez’s use of deadly physical force was objectively reasonable and therefore legally justified under the applicable legal standards.”
Bridgeport police were called to the 100 block of Terry Place around 1 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2024 for a report of an “emotionally disturbed person,” according to police. When officers arrived, they could hear a man, later identified as Jackson, yelling from inside that he wasn’t going to leave without a fight, according to a police report.
Four officers stood on the front porch and spoke to Jackson while he was in the doorway behind a glass door. Body camera footage, which was provided days after the incident occurred, showed the officers knocking on the glass door, asking Jackson to unlock it as he seemed to be arguing with someone inside, his back facing the officers.
According to the video, Cetti used what appeared to be a pocketknife to manipulate the door lock. As a person inside reached over Jackson to open the door, Jackson turned around and stepped out of the doorway, threatened to “kill” one of the officers and lunged toward Cetti with a knife, the video showed. She was stabbed twice in the neck by Jackson, Prescott said in his report.
One officer appeared to grab Jackson and then Jimenez fired two shots. The first shot was fired approximately four seconds after Jackson lunged at the officer, the video shows.
Cetti was treated and released for her injuries. Jackson survived and was later charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault and assault on police. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held on $750,000 bond. He is due back in court on Jan. 15 , Judicial Branch records show.
Officers who were interviewed as part of the investigation said Jackson appeared to be irrational, “very aggressive and disrespectful.” One of the officers at the scene told the IG’s office that Jackson said he believed someone was trying to “inject him” and “put him to sleep.”
“Several times Jackson made references about officer’s guns, fighting and hurting people and other comments of a violent nature. Officer Cetti asked dispatched to send the medics, then Jackson stated, ‘and one of them is going to get hurt tonight, there’s going to be a fight. Combat! You got your guns!’” according to statement given by officer Jah’maine Mercer who was at the scene, the report said.
In his statement, Jimenez said he saw Jackson raise his arm and start to stab Cetti, the report said. Mercer stepped in to separate Jackson and Cetti just as Jimemez fired, Prescott said in the report.
“He immediately lunged at officer Cetti, shouting, ‘I’m going to (expletive) kill one of you,” Jimenez said in the statement. “Jackson continued to attack Officer Cetti, raising his right arm in an overhead aggressive stabbing motion in the direction of Officer Cetti’s head and neck area. Fearing the immediate life-threatening actions to inflict serious bodily harm towards Officer Cetti, I drew my department-issued firearm from the holster and fired two shots at Jackson from close range.”
Jackson fell forward onto the porch but refused to give up the knife until he was losing consciousness and an officer stepped on his arm to prevent him from using the weapon, the report said.
Jackson was taken to St. Vincent’s Medical Center where he was treated for 15 days for injuries to his liver, kidney, ribs and spine, Prescott said in the report. He was arraigned on the attempted murder charges while he was still in the hospital.
After reviewing the evidence and statements, Prescott concluded that Jimenez was justified in using deadly force to stop an attack on a fellow officer.
“There can be no question that Jackson moved at Cetti with a deadly weapon, a knife, with such speed that a quick reaction was imperative to stop Jackson’s assault,” Prescott said. “In fact, the quick actions of both Jimenez and Officer Mercer undoubtedly spared Cetti from greater injury.”
Staff writer Liz Hardaway contributed to this story.
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