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Amanda Jean Williams

Age : 39

Gender : Female

Race : White

Date : 08/09/2025

Location : Gifford Lane

City : Bozrah

County : New London

State : Connecticut

Agency : Connecticut State Police

Officer(s) :Brett Cooke, Noah Blanchette

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during arrest

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/09/2025, at approximately 7:20 p.m., Connecticut State Police were dispatched to a residence on Gifford Lane in Bozrah after a resident called 911 reporting a physical confrontation between her daughter, 39-year-old Amanda Jean Williams, and a man identified as Kirk Frew. Dispatchers told responding troopers that a firearm was involved and that Williams was allegedly pointing the gun at Frew. Sgt. Zachary Cash and Troopers Brett Cook, Noah Blanchette and Drew Croteau responded.
According to the Connecticut Office of the Inspector General's subsequent investigation, Williams and Frew had been involved in an altercation before police arrived. Investigators alleged that Williams struck Frew in the head with the handgun and fired shots during the confrontation, although Frew was not struck by the gunfire. When troopers approached the residence, Frew entered the passenger side of a Honda Accord in the driveway while Williams walked from the backyard toward the vehicle holding a .380 Ruger handgun.
Troopers repeatedly ordered Williams to drop the gun. Body-camera footage recorded Williams telling police that she was not going back to jail and stating, "this is how I am going to die." Sgt. Cash attempted to stop Williams by firing several less-lethal PepperBall rounds, but they did not cause her to drop the firearm.
The Inspector General alleged that Williams then raised the handgun in the direction of the troopers. Cook fired one round from his service handgun and Blanchette fired two rounds from his department-issued Colt M4 rifle. Williams was struck by the police gunfire and fell to the ground. Police recovered the .380 Ruger handgun from her hand. Troopers provided medical assistance until emergency medical personnel arrived. Williams was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on 08/11/2025 and determined that Williams died from a gunshot wound to the neck with spinal-cord injury. The Medical Examiner classified the manner of death as homicide.
The Office of the Inspector General released its preliminary report and body-camera footage three days after the shooting and conducted the independent investigation required under Connecticut law. The video documented the troopers' commands, the less-lethal PepperBall deployment and the subsequent police gunfire.
On 05/11/2026, Inspector General Eliot Prescott released the final investigative findings and concluded that Cook and Blanchette's use of deadly force was legally justified. Prescott determined that the troopers reasonably perceived Williams as presenting an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury when she allegedly raised the handgun toward them. No criminal charges were brought against either trooper.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wfsb.com/2025/08/11/inspector-general-confirms-deadly-trooper-involved-shooting-bozrah/
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/ct-state-police-shooting-bozrah-fatal-gifford-lane-20812064.php
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/ct-state-police-shooting-bozrah-fatal-gifford-lane-20812064.php