New Haven Cop Accused Of Hitting Handcuffed Woman In Head During Arrest: Police

A New Haven police officer was arrested Thursday amid claims he struck a handcuffed woman twice in the head during an incident last fall.

State police charged Evan Kelly, 47, on a warrant with third-degree assault following a lengthy investigation into whether Kelly used excessive force while making an arrest.

Kelly turned himself in to state police, and he was released on a written promise to appear in court on Nov. 3.

The charge stems from an incident on Oct. 18, 2025.

New Haven police found Kelly’s actions were “excessive” under department policy and referred the matter to New Haven State's Attorney John Doyle, the warrant shows.

The Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad then initiated an investigation into Kelly’s actions.

According to the arrest warrant, Kelly had been assigned to a bar detail in New Haven around 1:14 a.m., when police received a complaint of a disturbance at a local establishment involving a female employee who was being terminated for being intoxicated at work and assaulting a coworker.

The warrant states Kelly informed the woman she was under arrest, and she was initially non-compliant and disobeyed police commands. She eventually complied and put her hands behind her back, and Kelly put her under arrest and handcuffed her hands behind her back, according to the warrant.

While Kelly brought the woman to his cruiser, she “became non-compliant by attempting to pull away and turn her body,” the warrant states.

Kelly wrote in his police report, "I felt her hands grabbing the front of my duty belt where my pistol magazines and pepper spray were located. I yelled at her to let go of me three times. She did not comply and I felt and heard the velcro of my pepper spray pouch being opened."

According to the warrant, Kelly told her to release him. He reported he struck her once with a closed fist on the left side of her head using his non-dominant left hand when she did not comply.

Kelly reported she again tightened her grip on his pepper spray and tried to pull the velcro lid.

“Officer Kelly stated that he interpreted this as another attempt to remove the pepper spray. Officer Kelly struck a second time with a closed fist using his non-dominant hand to the left side of her head,” the arrest warrant states.

Finally, police were able to put the woman in the rear seat of the cruiser.

According to the warrant, when asked by another officer what happened, Kelly said he believed she had been attempting to gain control of his pepper spray.

The warrant states the woman appeared under the influence of alcohol and was “acting belligerent,” including yelling, screaming and swearing, and she was transported to a hospital due to her level of intoxication.

When questioned later, she said she did not resist arrest at any point and did not attempt to flee or physically oppose officers. The woman “remained adamant” she did not resist and did not grab Kelly or any part of his belt, according to the warrant. She told investigators she had been attempting to retrieve personal belongings which had fallen on the ground.

The warrant indicates video of the incident shows her hands appeared to be “on or around Officer Kelly's belt.”

The woman reported injuries including facial swelling, bruising, jaw discomfort and generalized body pain. A physical exam noted a left lateral orbital ecchymosis, commonly known as a "black eye,” from direct trauma, according to the warrant.

The woman had been in an altercation at the establishment prior to the arrival of police, court documents show.

“While attempting to distinguish any possible injuries sustained from the altercation prior to NHPD compared to any possible injuries sustained during the use of force, (the woman) was unable to answer with any confidence,” the warrant states. “(She) admittedly did not remember being punched in the head by Officer Kelly, but after watching the videos she said he struck her on the left rear side of her head.”

The New Haven Police Department also launched an internal affairs investigation after the incident.

In a statement issued Friday, the department indicated Kelly believed the arrestee was attempting to grab items on his duty belt, a struggle ensued and Kelly “struck the handcuffed arrestee several times in the head.”

The woman was charged with second-degree breach of peace, second-degree criminal mischief, third-degree assault, first-degree criminal trespass, and interfering with an officer, according to police.

New Haven police supervisors reviewed the incident and determined Kelly’s use of force to be “excessive and a violation of NHPD policy,” according to the statement.

Kelly was put on administrative leave in early January.

The department’s internal affairs investigation was temporarily paused while state police conducted their investigation.

“Now that the state has concluded its investigation, the department's internal affairs investigation will resume and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken upon its conclusion,” the department’s statement said.