Hartford officer arrested for assaulting inmate

HARTFORD, Connecticut (WFSB) – A Hartford police officer was arrested for assault on a prisoner following an incident on July 17.

Officer Marcello Confeiteiro was assigned to guard an inmate in the hospital who had been admitted after being arrested on two warrants for domestic violence.

On July 18, during Confeiteiro's shift at 4:20 a.m., the prisoner displayed erratic behavior and threw objects around the room with his free hand.

The prisoner's feet were tied and his left hand was handcuffed to the bed.

The prisoner reportedly threatened Confeiteiro, punched him in the face and began spitting at the officer.

In response, Confeiteiro hit the prisoner back and turned his face to prevent him from spitting.

The prisoner was subsequently charged with obstructing an officer and assaulting security forces, paramedics, public transport or health care workers.

The Supreme Court ruled that Confeiteiro's use of force in self-defense was justified.

Later that day, an emergency room nurse reported that Confeiteiro punched the prisoner in the face after he was fully handcuffed.

This prompted the Internal Affairs Department to launch an investigation into the officer's conduct.

The investigation found that there was sufficient probable cause to charge Confeiteiro with second-degree breach of peace.

The officer has turned himself in and has been placed on leave with his salary retained while the administrative and judicial investigations continue.

The investigation is still active.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Hartford Police at 860-722-8477.

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