In January 2023, a Bristol police officer shot a suspect who had stolen a police cruiser and later crashed into Palma’s Diner, according to officials.

The Office of the Inspector General has concluded its investigation and announced that the evidence is insufficient to prove that the shooting was not justified, opting not to take any further action.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of January 12, 2023, when 39-year-old Jimmie Shoemaker-Gonzalez stole a Bristol Police Department cruiser parked on Quaker Lane.

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Bristol Police Officer Seth Petzing responded by firing four rounds at the cruiser as Shoemaker-Gonzalez drove off, striking and wounding him.

The report from the Office of the Inspector General states that Shoemaker-Gonzalez was hit four times, with two shots striking his thigh and two hitting his lower left leg.

Despite the injuries, Shoemaker-Gonzalez continued driving for approximately two and a half miles before crashing into Palma’s Diner on Stafford Avenue.

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Earlier that day, Shoemaker-Gonzalez had committed a carjacking in Hartford, where he assaulted a man with a knife and stole a Dodge Durango.

After fleeing the scene, he was involved in a collision with a snowplow in Farmington, leading him to abandon the Durango after crashing into a fence and rock wall.

Shoemaker-Gonzalez then attempted to steal a Nissan Versa at knifepoint but was unsuccessful. Around noon, he attacked another victim, cutting the man’s arm before stealing a Toyota RAV4 and heading toward Bristol.

A Bristol police sergeant later spotted the stolen RAV4 on Davis Drive and attempted to stop Shoemaker-Gonzalez, but he rammed the police cruiser, a guardrail, and a dumpster before driving down a ravine and hitting another guardrail. Shoemaker-Gonzalez then fled on foot and managed to steal a Bristol police cruiser on Quaker Lane.

Officer Petzing, who was on the scene, ordered Shoemaker-Gonzalez to stop and exit the vehicle.

When the suspect ignored the commands and drove past the officer, Petzing fired four shots into the driver’s side door.

Shoemaker-Gonzalez later told investigators that he had been drinking and smoking PCP and claimed to have little memory of the events.

He also mentioned suffering from PTSD, depression, and being bipolar. Blood tests confirmed that Shoemaker-Gonzalez had Benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite), oxycodone, and PCP in his system at the time.

After being hospitalized, Shoemaker-Gonzalez was released on January 15, 2023, and taken into police custody.

The Office of the Inspector General has since determined that the shooting was justified, and no further action will be taken against Officer Petzing.

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