New Haven │In the early morning hours of Sunday, 8 February, 2015, Police S.W.A.T. Officers met with Detectives to plan the arrest of the suspect believed to have organized the shooting of the mother of three of his children.
Detectives had been investigating the shooting assault that happened on 31 January, 2015 at a County street apartment. The call came in at 7:33 PM. A woman, the mother of three children had been shot by an intruder while fleeing her apartment.
Arriving Officers located the victim, a 27 year old female, who'd been shot in her thigh. The victim told Police she'd returned home and discovered a white man in her apartment. She said as she fled, the man chased her and shot her. She said she didn't know her assailant.
The victim believed the perpetrator was still inside, prompting a search of the building. He was not located.
The victim's boyfriend, Terquinten Lee Fulton (9-8-1984), of New Haven, was outside in the car with the victim's three children. None of them witnessed the shooting but Fulton said he heard the gunfire. He brought the children to the safety of a neighbor's apartment, phoned 911 and went to check on the victim.
The shooter has been described as a thin white man in his late twenties. He stands about 5'6" tall and wore a black hooded sweatshirt.
Detectives worked the case and were suspicious of the children’s father. During the beginning of the investigation, Fulton was dramatically angry. Sometimes demanding that Detectives focus less on the victim and more on trying to find who’d done this.
The first break in the case came from New Milford, CT. It seems David Nieman (4-2-1990), who lives on Spring Street in New Milford, told a woman he was on a date with that he’d recently shot a woman in New Haven. The woman was no longer interested in continuing the date and got the cops involved after the man allegedly stole some of her cash.
When New Haven Police learned of his date confession, an arrangement was made for New Milford Police to pick him up. They did just that, interrupting Nieman and an accomplice attempting a burglary.
When New Milford Officers turned him over to our Detectives, Nieman admitted shooting the woman but had a back-story he wanted to tell.
Neiman said he was instructed to perpetrate the shooting as an initiation into a gang. He said the gun was provided by the father of the victim’s three children, all under the age of five years. The continuing interview worried Detectives that the victim may have not been the only one Fulton wanted harmed. This prompted the simultaneous warrant application and call-out for tactical Officers to serve it.
Shortly after 1:00 AM on Sunday, the warrant for Fulton’s arrest was signed by a Judge. Police went to 121 Lamberton Street where Fulton was spotted entering. Police entered and arrested Fulton without incident.
Nieman, a convicted felon, was charged with assault in the first degree, unlawful discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, home invasion and conspiracy to commit assault in the first degree and home invasion.
Fulton was charged with conspiracy to commit assault in the first degree and conspiracy to commit home invasion.
Chief Dean M. Esserman said, “I am proud of our Department. This was a lot of information to put together, and with an early morning homicide to investigate, I was particularly impressed at the Detective’s ability to work both cases simultaneously”. We owe them and the fine Officers and Detectives of the New Milford Police Department a debt of gratitude”.
New Haven Police are especially appreciative of the detailed and speedy work of the Officers and Detectives from the New Milford Police Department. “Cooperation, such as this is what often solves crimes”, said Assistant Chief of Police, Achilles “Archie” Generoso. “We are greatly appreciative for their assistance. Without their help, we might still be looking”. Lieutenant Otoniel Reyes, the head of the department’s Detective Bureau was quick to agree with Generoso adding, “The case came together quickly because different units; the Investigative Services Division, the Shooting Task Force, The Intelligence Division, The F.B.I. Safe-Streets Task Force, Patrol and Emergency Services all worked together. They did a great job”.
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Officer David B Hartman, Media Liaison
Office of the Chief
Headquarters
New Haven Police Department
1 Union Avenue
New Haven, CT 06519
