Medical examiner: Norwich manhunt suspect died by suicide
Norwich — The man who died during an October manhunt that shut down much of Greeneville died by suicide, the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has ruled.
The cause of 25-year-old Brandon Uzialko’s death was a gunshot wound to the head, medical officials said.
Police were on the hunt for Uzialko because he was wanted for an attempted murder that happened Oct. 21. Uzialko allegedly had broken into the Quarto Road home of his ex-girlfriend, Sonia Fowler, and repeatedly stabbed her boyfriend, Carlos Gayle. Multiple children were inside.
Police at the time described Gayle’s wounds as life-threatening, but Gayle did not succumb to his injuries.
The manhunt began about 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24, after someone reported having seen Uzialko in Greeneville. Uzialko and a male Norwich police officer exchanged gunfire early in the chase, but police didn’t locate Uzialko until hours later, at the intersection of 13th and Prospect streets.
Uzialko was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Oct. 25, state police said they had taken up the case. Spokesman Eric Haglund, a sergeant with state police, said Friday the incident remains under investigation.
Because an officer was involved, the Windham County State’s Attorney’s Office also is investigating the incident.
Shortly after the October manhunt, city police Chief Patrick Daley said he had placed the involved officer on paid administrative leave, which is standard practice. On Friday, he said the male officer has returned to full-time duty.
Daley said it is his understanding that the Windham County State’s Attorney’s Office is handling "all information, releases and comments on the incident as their investigation is still open."
Because of that, he declined to identify the officer who discharged his weapon in October.
A message left Friday morning for Anne Mahoney, the Windham state's attorney, was not returned.
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