Groton City man identified in death at Foxwoods
State police on Wednesday identified the man who died Tuesday at Foxwoods Resort Casino during an encounter with Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police in a parking garage as 23-year-old Michael Goodale of Groton City.
The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy of Goodale Wednesday and said his cause of death is from "circumstances pending further investigation." Goodale's last known address was 230 Eastern Point Road.
The incident occurred about noon Tuesday, as police were attempting to serve him with an arrest warrant charging him with violation of probation, state police said.
As police tried to take him into custody, Goodale pointed a gun at them, police said. Police ordered him to drop his weapon, but he failed to do so, police said.
At least one tribal officer fired at least once, police said.
Goodale then fell off the fourth floor of the parking garage onto a paved driveway below. Police said they administered first aid, but he was pronounced dead.
The incident remains under investigation by the state police Eastern District Major Crime Squad and the New London County State's Attorney's Office.
The police involved in the incident have not been identified. According to Mashantucket Police Chief William D. Dittman, no personnel have been placed on leave as a result of the incident.
Dittman said he could not comment further on the investigation.
According to court records, Goodale was sentenced on June 26, 2013, to five years in prison, suspended after one year served, and three years' probation on third-degree burglary charges. He was on probation at the time of the incident.
The Daily Campus, the student newspaper at the University of Connecticut, reported in January 2013 that campus police had charged him with stealing items from the athletic department building and drama/music building and from a person who was exercising at Sherman Field.
According to Goodale's Facebook page, he was from Rockville and moved to Groton in April.
State's Attorney Michael L. Regan said his office would continue to investigate unless it is determined that the police use of force caused Goodale's death.
Should the investigation determine the use of force caused the death, Chief State's Attorney Kevin T. Kane, under a new state law that went into effect in October 2015, must assign the investigation to a state's attorney's office in another judicial district.
Regan said he would be reviewing autopsy results when they are available, along with other evidence, including reports and video footage, if available, and would continue to update Kane.
Mashantucket police, citing the ongoing state police investigation, deferred a Freedom of Information request from The Day for video surveillance of the incident to state police.
The department, which consists of about 30 officers, began using body cameras full time in January.
Felix Rappaport, Foxwoods' president and chief executive officer, said he and a casino vice president, Chris O'Connell, were sitting in Rappaport's office Tuesday when Rappaport got a call from the casino's head of security, Armando Sebastian.
"He said he had a report that could involve a shot or shots being fired in the Fox Tower garage," Rappaport said. "Chris immediately went there, and I got a call back in a matter of minutes that the situation had been resolved and that no one was in danger."
State police, summoned to the scene, called for the garage to be closed, preventing patrons from entering or leaving, Rappaport said.
"It was an active crime scene investigation, and state police have their protocols," he said. "Police decided to seal off the garage for a period of hours, even though there was no risk to anyone."
Rappaport said no other area of the property was closed, to his knowledge.
"There was no reason for anything to have closed, I can tell you that," he said.
He said he did not know how long the body remained on the pavement outside the parking garage or whether the victim had been inside the casino prior to the confrontation in the garage.
Rappaport said Foxwoods management would make counseling available to any employees affected by the incident.
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