Grieving The Loss Of An Officer Beloved By Cops And The Community

New Haven CT

18 September, 2021

9:35 AM

Description

NEW HAVEN, CT — Passionate about community policing, New Haven Police Interim Chief Renee Dominguez described officer Joshua Castellano as being the "whole package." Castellano was killed in a car crash in Las Vegas in the pre-dawn hours Friday. On vacation with three other New Haven officers, they and two passengers were traveling in a Rolls-Royce driven by officer Robert Ferraro when the collision caused Castellano to be thrown from the vehicle. Despite life-saving measures being taken by first responders, Castellano died from his injuries. Ferraro was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and charged with driving under the influence death resulting and reckless driving. He's being held on $100,000 bail. Read the full story here. In an early Saturday morning news conference, Dominguez was emotional when she spoke about Castellano. Hired in July 2014, he graduated from the academy in 2015 and was soon out on the streets. First in the Hill and then with Dominguez as his supervisor in Westville. While he was in the police academy, Dominguez said, it was clear that Castellano "had the thing, the thing that isn't teachable." She said he was well-known in each neighborhood he served, and well-liked by residents and fellow officers. "He didn't only touch the men and women of the police department, but the community as well, " she said. "I was his first supervisor. Walking the beat in Westville, he worked very hard and was very passionate. He knew everybody. Everybody had a story about Josh." An example, she said, was that while working on the Shooting Task Force, "a very close unit," after chasing down a suspect, asked the person is they were "OK." Dominguez described him as "compassionate." "He was happy. He didn't complain. He was able to connect with anybody. The kids in Westville loved him. He was the whole package. Passionate and driven to be a police officer." She said Castellano was a brother to the men and women of the department, who are all now grieving. She described him as the colleague that would be in someone's' wedding, one that knew his fellow officers' children. Dominguez said her biggest concerns now are at once supporting his family and officers. She said police are already "stressed, working long hours to keep the community safe" and their well-being is of great concern. Dominguez said the department is "doing everything we can to give full support" to his family, including having an officer with Castellano's mother "24-7." Meanwhile, Dominguez confirmed that the other officers in the car suffered minor injures. She said that the department is following policy and has placed Ferraro on administrative leave and is beginning its own investigation. "We are grieving multiple things today," she said.