WARREN Review of shooting planned

Officer Ben Harrell, who was shot, was released from the hospital but is not yet back to his job.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A probe into one police officer shooting another during a burglary investigation found no criminal intent.
Police Chief John Mandopoulos and Fred Harris, city safety-service director, said the investigation into Patrol Officer Ben Harrell's shooting will now be sent to the city prosecutor's office for review.
"We just want the prosecutors to look over it, but we believe there was no criminal intent at all," Mandopoulos said.
Harrell, 38, was shot twice in the leg by Patrol Officer Jeff Miller on June 10 while both officers were responding to a burglary call. Harrell was in the back yard of the home when he was shot.
Harrell, who was released from the hospital two days after the shooting, is still at home recuperating, officials said. Miller remains on in-house duty until the completion of an internal investigation, Mandopoulos said.
Investigation
"We are now starting the internal [investigation], and we hope that will be completed in about two weeks," the chief said. The investigation will determine if any departmental policies were violated, the chief said.
Harrell was assigned to security for the Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority. Both officers were among those who responded when a caller reported seeing two men break into a home at 750 Austin Ave. S.W. shortly before midnight June 9.
No one was home at the time of the break-in.
An officer saw a suspect in the house with a gun in his hand, police have said, and the officer fired two shots. A gun was recovered inside the house after two suspects, Matthew Smith of Parkman Road and Edward Lighting of Oak Street, both 19, were arrested and charged with aggravated burglary. Both men have pleaded innocent to the charges, and their cases are pending.