New Haven Use-of-Force Instructor Evan Kelly Charged — Warrant Says He Struck a Handcuffed Woman Twice in the Head

New Haven police officer Evan Kelly — the department’s own use-of-force instructor, the cop who trains other officers where the line is — turned himself in to Connecticut State Police Thursday morning and was arraigned in Hartford. The charge: a misdemeanor count of third-degree assault for striking a handcuffed woman twice in the head.

The incident happened in October 2025, during a downtown bar detail. The woman was in cuffs — behind her back. Kelly’s own arrest warrant admits he hit her two separate times with a closed fist.

His explanation, per the warrant: he claimed she was grabbing his pepper spray. But the body camera captured the moment a sergeant pointed out the obvious — “she is cuffed behind her back.” The woman denies she ever resisted.

Nine Months on the Payroll

Here’s what happened after the October 2025 incident: nothing, publicly, for months. Kelly wasn’t fired. In January, Acting Chief David Zannelli placed him on paid leave while an internal investigation moved at its own pace — and he kept collecting his paycheck the whole time.

He wasn’t alone. A second New Haven officer was placed on leave in the same case window. The department has never named that officer.

The internal investigation only picked back up after prosecutors moved. Nine months after the incident — and nine months on the payroll — before any charge was filed.

What’s Next

Kelly, 47, is a ten-year veteran of the department. He’s due back in a New Haven courtroom on November 3 at 9 a.m. The department still hasn’t said whether he remains an employee.

This story is developing. We’ll update this page when the court date produces news — a plea, a ruling on his employment status, or the identity of the second officer on leave.