New Haven Police Fatal Shooting of Black Man in Public Housing Elevator Justified

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  • Police Claim that for NO Reason Mack Lucky Pulled out a Knife & Assaulted Police Officer. Police Dog had Nothing to do with it.
State’s Attorney Michael Dearington concluded that a city police officer was justified in using deadly force against Mack Lucky, who menaced the officer with a knife in an apartment building elevator. Officer Elliot Rosa shot and killed Lucky on Nov. 8 in an elevator at 904 Howard Ave., a public-housing complex for senior citizens and the disabled. "Officer Rosa’s use of deadly force in causing the death of Mack Lucky was both reasonable and justified," Dearington wrote in his report. Dearington found that Rosa acted in self-defense and couldn’t retreat in the elevator. Rosa, who had an 8-month-old black Labrador dog with him, was moving into the building as part of a police officer-in-residence program when he encountered Lucky, 57, who lived there for six years. The dog was the subject of the initial confrontation, as Lucky told Rosa the dog had better stay away from him or he’d hit it over the head with his laundry bag. [According to the shooting officer] in the elevator, Lucky pulled out a knife and said in an angry tone that he "had something for" Rosa, the officer told police. As Rosa reached for his weapon, Lucky allegedly lunged forward with the knife. "It was clear to me that Mr. Lucky was attacking me with the knife and I feared for my life," Rosa indicated. Rosa then shot him. The discovery of a knife by Lucky’s hand supports Rosa’s version of events, according to Dearington. "Although there are no identifiable prints on the knife, it makes sense that it belonged to Mr. Lucky," Dearington wrote. "He was known to carry a folding knife and the weapon was found under his right hand." Lucky was shot in the chest. Barbara Fair, coordinator at People Against Injustice, said she isn’t surprised by the outcome of the investigation. "It seems like no matter what police do — they can have someone on the ground and shoot them in the back of the head — they are always justified," she said. "It was sad to see so many elderly people mourning over someone they knew for years," she said. "His kids had nothing but his body in a casket, and for what?" [more]