For four years, Sgt. Robert Lawlor of Hartford, Connecticut, has been embroiled in legal battles to contest a grand jury indictment on charges of manslaughter and assault.

The incident occurred in a dangerous neighborhood of Hartford where Sgt. Lawlor previously had been stabbed, shot twice, and threatened with deadly force. On the evening of May 7, 2005, he and an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms special agent attempted to question two suspects who were armed and in a car being sought in the investigation of a drive-by shooting and murder. The suspects did not comply with the officers’ orders to turn off the ignition and put their hands on the dashboard. Instead, they acted in a threatening way and tried to run over Sgt. Lawlor’s partner. To save the life of his partner, Sgt. Lawlor fired at the car, fatally wounding the driver.

The Hartford Police Department concluded he was justified in firing his weapon, but the State’s Attorney, John Connelly, charged him with manslaughter, which carries a possible 20-year sentence.

Over a year ago, the Appeals Court ordered the grand jury to review its decision to indict Sgt. Lawlor and hold hearings. After this review, the Connecticut Supreme Court will hear the case. But the process has been stalled by the State’s Attorney, who has been attempting to prevent the disclosure of the evidence presented to the grand jury.

LELDF has been actively involved in the legal “discovery” process to bring important information to the grand jury that was previously excluded from consideration and to demonstrate that some of the evidence presented was biased. We are fighting on two fronts: seeking additional evidence for the Connecticut Supreme Court hearing and filing motions with the trial judge to release all the evidence presented to the grand jury.

LELDF, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, plans to remain actively involved in seeking justice for Sgt. Lawlor.