Fourth Street looking toward Star Street shortly after the shooting.
ANSONIA — Police named a 20-year-old Ansonia man as a person of interest in a shooting on the north end Wednesday.
The victim, a 32-year-old man from Bridgeport, was shot several times in the upper body, police said. He is in critical condition.
The person of interest — Jermaine Smalls — has not been charged directly with the shooting, but was detained near the scene Wednesday.
Police filed a number of charges against him, including:
* Carrying a pistol without a permit
* Tampering with evidence
* Possession of narcotics with intent to sell (police said he had a small amount of crack cocaine with him)
* Possession of narcotics within 1,500 feet of a school (a daycare is nearby)
* Interfering with police
According to a press release, an Ansonia police officer on patrol on Fourth Street reported hearing shots fired in the area at about 1:50 p.m. It was the third such report in less than a week, and the officer was part of increased patrols in the area of North Main Street. CLICK HERE then scroll down to read about the city’s plans to possibly install a surveillance camera system on the north end to combat crime.
“The officer was on Liberty Street near Fourth Street about 150 feet from where the shooting took place. A male all in black clothing was seen running from the area of the shots fired and attempted to elude officers in the area before he was detained on Star Street,” according to a statement prepared by Lt. Patrick Lynch.
Police checked the area where Smalls ran — an area between a community center building and a condo complex — and, with the help of a Seymour canine team, recovered a handgun along with clothes Smalls had been wearing, police said.
“Shortly after the shots fired, Griffin Hospital reported they had a male shooting victim at their emergency room,” Lynch said.
After detaining Smalls, police learned he is also a suspect in a shooting in New York City.
NYPD officers obtained an arrest warrant for Smalls and he has been charged in that jurisdiction with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and first-degree attempted assault. Ansonia police lodged an additional charge against him for being a fugitive from justice.
Smalls has bonds totallng $1.25 million over him, and is scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court in Derby on Thursday.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the police department at 203 – 735-1885 or use this anonymous tip app.
