EAST HAVEN, CT — In the 30-second TikTok video, East Haven Police Officer Palma, one of the department’s K9 officers, is seen at the door of a home. A man named “John” can be heard demanding that police step back from his door and allow him to close his front door.
Palma can be heard saying: “Could you please come out and talk like a gentleman?”
“Yes, yes, but you must respect my rights and my property. Please close the door. You are being filmed! I ask you to close the door,” the man shouts.
“John, John,” Palma says quietly, asking the man to come outside and talk to him. “Like a man. Come on. Come on.”
The man continues to insist that Palma close the door while the officer again asks the man to come out.
“I have to go into the house,” the man is heard saying, and then Palma is seen entering the house, followed by another officer who is not fully seen.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Palma, why are you doing this?”
Patch reached out to East Haven police for comment.
Police Captain Joseph M. Murgo, the department’s spokesman, texted Patch the following statement:
“We are aware of a TikTok video circulating featuring East Haven Police Officer Palma. I wanted to provide some background on the video, which was recorded on August 11th.
The situation involved a suicidal man who had inflicted injuries on himself. After attempting to de-escalate the situation for about an hour, Officer Palma took the opportunity to arrest him to prevent further harm when it was clear the perpetrator was about to retreat back into the house. In explosive situations like the one we experienced on August 11, split-second decisions can mean the difference between life and death.
The short video clip does not provide full context and appears to have been posted with the intent to misrepresent the incident. Per our policy, the incident was reviewed by a supervisor and a use of force report was filed. Officer Palma did not violate any department policies.
While we understand and respect the importance of transparency, it is critical to know the full context before posting about such incidents publicly. Because this incident involved someone in crisis and in accordance with Connecticut state law, no further comment will be made.”
