Bridgeport police chief: Officer stabbed while responding to call released from hospital

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) — Bridgeport’s police chief spoke for the first time since an officer shot a suspect who stabbed another officer early Saturday morning. The Connecticut Office of Inspector General released its preliminary report and body camera footage on Tuesday.

It took about five seconds for 45-year-old Huntley Jackson to lunge at Bridgeport Police Officer Marie Cetti with a knife and for another officer to shoot him twice in the torso. Jackson is in stable condition. Cetti was stabbed in the head, neck, and shoulder.

“The officer who was injured was released from the hospital,” Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter said. “Her injuries are okay. She’s healing from those injuries. They were non-life threatening, and I don’t believe they’re going to be long-lasting or impactful on her.”

Porter said the call was to help medics with an emotionally disturbed person who had not taken his meds. He says it was similar to an incident with Jackson two years ago at that house.

“This is not the first time with this situation, this individual,” Porter said. “Our officers had been there in the past, and it was a violent situation in the past the previous time that they were there as well.”

The chief said his officers acted professionally and followed their training, trying to de-escalate with their words first.

Like many Connecticut cities, Bridgeport recently developed a civilian team to go out and work with people going through mental health crises. But, Porter said, because of the violent past of this individual, this call would not have been a good fit for them.

“Those teams are always good, but this is a situation where I don’t think that would have been necessarily effective,” Porter said. “I just think this person was at a point where it was going to involve some sort of police actions or intervention.”

Porter said his prayers are with the Jackson family, hoping they get the support they need.

All four officers at the scene Saturday morning are off the street as the Office of the Inspector General investigates.

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