The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has ruled the fatal shooting of 53-year-old Agim Beqiraj Sunday was a homicide.
But state police said they are still trying to determine whether Beqiraj was killed by a bullet fired by Seymour Police Sgt. Stephen Prajer, or by a bullet from his own gun.
Prajer shot Beqiraj after Beqiraj allegedly shot himself and then raised his gun toward responding officers at the Mobil station on Route 67, according to state police spokesperson Lt. J. Paul Vance.
Vance maintained that the classification of the death as a homicide “doesn’t mean anything” in terms of determining whose bullet caused the fatality.
Forensic evidence and ballistics will help state police investigators determine that fact, Vance said.
“It’s just a title they put on the manner of death,” Vance said. “We haven’t made that determination just yet.”
Vance said the state police continue to study projectile and forensic evidence from the scene, and will continue talking to witnesses to clarify exactly how Beqiraj was killed.
During the investigation, Prajer, a 17-year veteran of the department has been placed on administrative duty, as per department protocol, Vance said.
The investigation could last several weeks.
Click here to read a state police press release on the incident.
The Incident
State police said the situation started when Naugatuck police notified area departments they were looking for Beqiraj, who might be despondent.
Lt. Robert Harrison, Naugatuck police spokesperson, confirmed the call did originate there, but there was no crime scene in Naugatuck.
Harrison referred all other comments through the state police.
At about 1 p.m. Sunday, Seymour police located Beqiraj’s car — a dark-colored Mitsubishi station wagon — at the Mobil station on the Seymour/Oxford line and three officers surrounded it.
The officers saw that Beqiraj had a weapon and ordered him to leave the car, Vance said.
Instead, according to Vance, Beqiraj shot himself at least once.
He then raised his gun toward the officers who were standing outside his car, Vance said.
That’s when Prajer shot the suspect in defense, according to Vance.
Beqiraj was treated at the scene by local ambulance crews and was transported to Bridgeport Hospital.
He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Vance said it’s unclear how many times Beqiraj was shot.
The autopsy report released Monday said he was shot in the head and the torso, but did not elaborate on the number of bullet wounds.
The medical examiner’s office did not release details about which bullet was the fatal shot.
The Witness
Mary King, an employee at the Mobil station, said she heard the gunshots.
King said between 12:30 and 1 p.m. a customer came into the gas station store asking why police were outside. King looked out a drive-thru window in the shop and saw three police officers approaching the car with guns drawn.
King said she was called away from the window by customers inside.
“No sooner did I take care of them, did I hear a shot,” said King, whose brother is a sergeant with the department. “And I thought, ‘Oh my God. Please don’t let it be one of the officers.’”
