Afghan Vet Killed in Police Shooting
PHOTO CAPTION: Police investigate the scene of a fatal officer-involved shooting in Bristol, Connecticut, on October 16, 2026. Authorities identified the man killed as 43-year-old Afghanistan War veteran Jakub Dziemaszkiewicz. (Photo: Jim Shannon / Hearst Connecticut Media)
A 43-year-old U.S. Army combat veteran who survived multiple dangerous incidents during his service in Afghanistan was fatally shot by a Connecticut police officer responding to a welfare check Friday evening.
Authorities identified the man Sunday as Jakub Dziemaszkiewicz, a Bristol resident and father of two young boys.
His former wife told CT Insider that he had served in Afghanistan, sustained injuries in two helicopter crashes and survived an improvised explosive device explosion during his military service.
Dziemaszkiewicz had also worked for Disabled American Veterans, an organization that assists former service members with benefits and other support.
The circumstances that led the officer to open fire remain unclear.
Welfare Check Ends in Fatal Shooting
According to the Bristol Police Department, officers responded to a residence in the city's Chippens Hill neighborhood at approximately 8:30 p.m. on October 16 to conduct a welfare check.
During the encounter, one officer discharged a firearm, fatally striking Dziemaszkiewicz.
Police described the shooting as involving an officer who believed it necessary to fire but did not provide details about the encounter or explain what prompted the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not publicly established whether Dziemaszkiewicz was armed, whether he threatened officers or what circumstances led to the welfare check.
The Connecticut Office of the Inspector General is investigating the shooting.
The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed Sunday that an autopsy was planned, with findings expected to be released Monday.
Afghanistan Veteran Leaves Behind Two Sons
Dziemaszkiewicz was a Bristol native who served in the U.S. Army during the war in Afghanistan.
His former wife, who requested anonymity, described a man who had experienced dangerous incidents during his military service and later worked with fellow veterans.
She said he was injured in two separate helicopter crashes and by an improvised explosive device while deployed.
Following his military service, he worked for Disabled American Veterans.
Outside his professional life, Dziemaszkiewicz enjoyed fishing with his sons, working on automobiles and hiking with his three German shepherds.
His two sons are now 8 and 9 years old.
Funeral arrangements had not been finalized as of Sunday.
Veteran Previously Spoke Against Connecticut Gun Restrictions
Public legislative records also show that Dziemaszkiewicz submitted testimony earlier this year opposing proposed Connecticut firearm restrictions.
In March, he criticized measures involving certain semiautomatic firearms and magazine regulations, arguing that they would burden law-abiding gun owners.
One of the measures he opposed concerned firearms capable of being modified to fire automatically.
His testimony was part of the public legislative process.
There is currently no evidence connecting his firearms-policy advocacy to the police shooting.
State Investigation Underway
The Connecticut Office of the Inspector General is responsible for reviewing police use-of-force incidents involving serious injury or death.
The investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the encounter and determine whether the officer's actions were justified under Connecticut law.
As of Monday morning, authorities had not publicly identified the officer involved or released a detailed account of the confrontation.
For now, the central circumstances remain unanswered: why police were called to check on Dziemaszkiewicz, what happened after they arrived and why the encounter ended with fatal gunfire.
The death leaves two young boys without their father and raises questions that state investigators have yet to answer.
(Source: OAF Nation)
