New Haven Officer Evan Kelly Charged With Assault After Striking Handcuffed Woman
A New Haven police officer has been charged with third-degree assault after striking a handcuffed woman twice in the head during an arrest at a city bar. Officer Evan Kelly remains on administrative leave.
New Haven Police Officer Charged Over Use of Force on Handcuffed Woman at Bar
A New Haven police officer has been charged with third-degree assault following a nearly year-long investigation into an incident in which he struck a handcuffed woman twice in the head, Connecticut State Police said on Thursday. According to nhregister.com, Officer Evan Kelly was arrested after investigators determined his use of force during an October 2025 arrest at a city bar was excessive and in violation of department policy.
Kelly, 47, who had been with the New Haven Police Department since 2016 and had no prior history of internal affairs investigations, was serving as a use-of-force instructor at the time of the incident, state police noted in the arrest warrant.
The Incident at the Bar
The episode occurred in the early hours of 18 October 2025. The woman — whose name was redacted in the warrant — was an employee of the bar and had become intoxicated during and after her shift, which ended at 11pm. The bar's owner called police after she allegedly got into an altercation with other staff and broke a tablet while intoxicated. She was dismissed that night for being drunk at work before the call to police was made.
Kelly was attempting to arrest the woman when she began resisting and reaching toward his duty belt — which carried his firearm, Taser and pepper spray — despite having her hands handcuffed behind her back, he told investigators. He pushed her against his patrol vehicle as she resisted, then struck her twice in the head, stating he believed she was trying to grab for his pepper spray.
Body-camera footage, referenced in the warrant, shows the woman appearing to reach for the duty belt while intoxicated and restrained. The woman told state police she did not recall being struck and said she was embarrassed by her own conduct after watching the footage. She added that she had been involved in a physical altercation across three rooms of the bar prior to officers arriving and could not distinguish which injuries had occurred during that fight and which may have resulted from the arrest. Nonetheless, she told investigators she wanted Kelly charged.
Department Review and Administrative Leave
Two New Haven police supervisors reviewed Kelly's conduct and concluded he had violated the department's use-of-force policy shortly after the incident. However, Kelly was not placed on administrative leave until January — after Police Chief David Zannelli took over the department following the departure of Karl Jacobson, who has since been charged with stealing money from a fund used to pay informants.
Kelly remains on administrative leave. An internal affairs investigation that had been suspended once Connecticut State Police opened a criminal inquiry will now resume following his arrest, the city confirmed in a statement on Friday.
"The incident was reviewed by New Haven Police Department supervisors who determined Officer Kelly's use of force to be excessive and a violation of NHPD policy, which requires use of force to be reasonable, necessary and proportionate," the city's statement read. "An internal affairs investigation was subsequently initiated, leading to Officer Kelly being placed on administrative leave in early January."
Mayor Calls for Accountability
Mayor Justin Elicker issued a statement on Friday acknowledging the broader conduct expected of the city's officers while making clear that Kelly would face consequences.
"Every day, New Haven police officers strive to hold themselves to the highest professional and policing standards and put their lives on the line to protect our residents and keep our community safe," Elicker said. "However, when an officer fails to adhere to those high standards, they must be held accountable."
Elicker added: "Use of force by a law enforcement officer must always be necessary, reasonable and proportionate. The New Haven Police Department, State's Attorney and Connecticut State Police have all determined that Officer Kelly's use of force in this instance was excessive, and he will be held accountable for his actions."
Policy and Charges
The New Haven Police Department's use-of-force policy does not outright prohibit the use of force on individuals who are handcuffed, according to the warrant. However, any such force must be "reasonable" and "necessary" where the person's behaviour poses a credible threat to officers or bystanders.
The woman subject to the arrest was herself charged with second-degree breach of peace, second-degree criminal mischief, third-degree assault, first-degree criminal trespass and interfering with an officer.
Kelly has been charged with assault in the third degree. A valid contact number for him could not be located. The New Haven Police Union did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication. Disciplinary action against Kelly will be determined upon conclusion of the internal affairs investigation, the city said.
Source: The Sun