A report released Thursday by the State's Attorney's Office says five New Britain police officers were justified in opening fire on a car during an attempted traffic stop in December 2017.

Police said they attempted to stop a car on Chapman Street around 6:45 p.m. on December 14, 2017, when the car drove at them.

A total of five officers fired their weapons, killing the driver, 20-year-old Zoe Dowdell. An 18-year-old was also injured and a 15-year-old in the car was not hurt. The two teens were both charged in connection with the incident.

Officers stopped the car because it was suspected to have been involved in several carjackings.

The shooting was captured on police dashcam video and was released as part of the state's attorney's report.

 State's attorney John Smirga, of the Fairfield State's Attorney's Office, determined that the officers reasonably believed their lives could be at risk and they were justified to shoot at the car.

Detective Marcin Ratajczak, Detective Christopher Kiely, Officer Michael Slavin, Officer Kyle Jones, and Officer Chad Nelson were all placed on restricted duty after the shooting.

Chief James Wardwell said Thursday the officers will remain on restricted duty until he can fully review the report.

Pope Francis told American bishops in a letter Thursday to stop "playing the victim or the scold" and do something about a "culture of abuse" in the Church, NBC News reported.

The bishops are at a retreat in a seminary near Chicago. The U.S. Roman Catholic Church has been rocked by sexual abuse allegations, which Francis referred to in the letter.

"The Church's credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes, but even more by the efforts to deny or conceal them," he said.

The letter is a "big deal" for specifically addressing the U.S. church, with its many divisions and its credibility crisis amid cover-ups, according to Jesuit priest and author Rev. James Martin.

Before she made it to the chambers of Congress, Jahana Hayes was walking the halls of Waterbury’s John F. Kennedy High School.

She spent more than a decade teaching history before making history as Connecticut’s first African American woman elected to Congress.

At Kennedy High School on Thursday, Hayes was described by colleagues as a civically-minded teacher who made it her mission to get students involved in their communities.

Now, she is once again representing hers on the national stage.

“I always saw her as doing more,” said Kara Sullivan, an English teacher.

The pair worked together on an interdisciplinary program that combined social studies and English lessons.

Sullivan said she wasn’t surprised when Hayes, 2016’s National Teacher of the Year, decided to throw her hat in the ring to represent Connecticut’s 5th District in Congress.

“Tremendous charisma, personality,” Sullivan recalled.

Kennedy Principal Robert Johnston agreed. Hayes did her student teaching observation in Johnston’s classroom when he was head of the school’s social studies department.

“Very dynamic, very energetic, she had an ease at which she was able to establish relationships with students,” said Johnston. “Here’s someone from Waterbury, grew up in Waterbury, went through Waterbury public schools, and now is attempting to represent us in Washington D.C.,” he explained.

There’s little mention of Hayes in the high school. All displays from her state and national “Teacher of the Year” awards were taken down before voters cast their ballots in November because the school serves as a polling place.

Though most of her students have graduated, Hayes’s story continues to inspire both the students and the staff who walk these hallways.

“You know, she didn’t grow up very easy. She grew up in a hard life,” said Jake Liquindoli, a Kennedy High School sophomore who volunteered on her campaign.

Many we spoke to made reference to Hayes being a teen mom, which she spoke openly about on the campaign trail.

“It was nice to see the hometown girl make good. Somebody that really had to overcome a lot of struggles, a lot of obstacles,” said Sullivan.

“What I learned from her is do not let difficulties or little bumps in the road definitely take you out of the game,” said Jenilyn Obuobi-Djam, a former student.

Obuobi-Djam also serves as president of the service group HOPE, which stands for Helping Out People Everywhere. Hayes started the organization and continues to help out as an advisor. Most recently, she traveled with students to California to help build houses.

“Having the foundation to go back to and always help out is really important to her,” said Obuobi-Djam.

A teacher who inspired students in her own classroom, Hayes is now considered by some to be a role model who broke down barriers in her bid to become Connecticut’s next congresswoman.

“I’m more surprised that a teacher from this type of area could be a politician. It makes me want to believe that anything is possible,” said Marquise Blegmon, a Kennedy High School Senior and member of HOPE.

“When I started working for her people told me, ‘you know she has no experience, right?’ But, I don’t think you always need the experience to do the job,” added Liquindoli.

Hayes’s colleagues believe her skills as a teacher will serve her well in Washington. While her former boss said teaching high school students is one of the toughest jobs in the world, Johnston believes, “It might be a little bit more challenging trying to get Congress to work in some sort of united fashion in our present climate.”

The idea is on the table in Wallingford to raise the legal age to buy tobacco and e-cigarettes in order to combat the exploding popularity of the tobacco products among teens.

President of the Coalition for a Better Wallingford Ken Welch said vaping is an epidemic every parent should worry about.

"Thirty-five percent to 40 percent of our high schoolers are vaping," he said. "We know middle school students are doing it on the bus. Kids are selling this stuff."

He said e-cigarettes are highly addictive and dangerous.

"This is something the kids can do to get 'high' without their parents knowing about it."

In Connecticut, the legal age to purchase tobacco, including e-cigarettes, is 18.

In October, Hartford City Council voted to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products there to 21. Now, Wallingford town council is considering a similar ordinance.

"I don’t know if it’s going to make much difference other than they won’t be able to buy them legally," said Wallingford resident, Ralph Demusis.

"The longer you can hold them off from smoking the better off they are as far as I’m concerned," Jim Craigen of Wallingford said.

At Silver City Vapors, co-owner Martin Pizzani said while he thinks the ordinance is well intentioned, it won’t work. Whether the legal age is 18 or 21, he said it should be consistent statewide.

"It’s very easy for underage kids to drive across town borders and go to the next town and buy stuff," Pizzani said.

Wallingford town council plans to lay out more specifics of the proposed changes at their meeting tonight, and hopes to have a draft of the ordinance next month.

Thomaston police are trying to find a fuel thief.

Police said the pickup pictured above was used by someone who siphoned fuel from other vehicles in the Waterbury Road area on Dec. 31.

Anyone who recognizes the vehicle is asked to call police at 860-283-4343.

Old Gate Lane in Milford is closed after a truck caught fire at a gas station, according to police.

Police said the fire is at Wheels gas station at 365 Old Gate Lane. The road is closed in both directions between East Town Road and Woodmont Road.

It is unclear if there are any injuries.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Women who are victims of domestic assault, stalking, rape or other forms of sexual violence are among the people who could be affected if the partial shutdown of the federal government stretches on, NBC News reported. 

Amid the budget impasse between President Donald Trump and Congress over his demand for border-wall funding, lawmakers failed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, a landmark 1994 law that allots federal money to organizations that serve female victims of violence across the country.

As the shutdown drags on, money for these nonprofits, many of them on a shoestring budget, could run dry.

A New Haven man is accused in a shooting in the Cedar Hill neighborhood of the city on a December morning.

Police responded to the area of Ferry and Pecks Streets, and View Street near Warren Place, around 7:30 a.m. on December 19 for reports of gunfire. One caller reported they were shot. The victim drove to the Blatchley Avenue police substation and was treated for non-life threatening gunshot wounds.

Officers identified a suspect, 28-year-old Ricardo Ramos, on December 21 and began looking for him. Police said when investigators attempted the arrest as Ramos left his home on Thursday, he drove off, then caused a minor crash when he jumped from his moving vehicle.

Ramos was captured and charged with criminal attempted assault, reckless endangerment, carrying a pistol without a permit, and criminal possession of a firearm for the December 19 incident. He was also charged with interfering with an officer, reckless endangerment, evading responsibility, weapon in a motor vehicle and criminal possession of a firearm, and other motor vehicle charges for Thursday’s incident.

Ramos was held on a combined $650,000 bond and is due in court Friday.

The shooting investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should contact the New Haven Police Department at 203-946-6304.

Wolcott police are trying to find whoever is behind a series of BB gun shootings that have damaged homes and vehicles.

Police think someone in a pickup might be linked to at least some of them, and release surveillance footage of the truck.

The string of apparent drive-by BB gun shootings is leaving homeowners frustrated.

Residents threw up plywood to protect their vehicle’s back windows at this home on Sunrise Road. The owners, who did not want to be identified, say the shootings started here about ten days ago.

“We first noticed my husband’s truck, the bed of his truck, had gotten shot by a BB gun, thinking it was just kids fooling around. We filed a police report and kept moving,” the owner said.

Over the next week or so, they would discover car windows shattered, as well as the house being targeted.

That’s when they pulled up their surveillance camera footage.

“When we looked back at the videos, we actually found out that all three of the videos were the same truck.”

Investigators believe the same black GMC pickup was captured on Hickory Road where damage was reported. Another home was also hit on Spindle Hill Road.

Anyone with information that could help solve this case is asked to contact police.

The Department of Homeland Security has requested more U.S. troops to be deployed at the border to add 160 miles of concertina wire on top of existing border fencing, according to three U.S. officials.

If approved by Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, the addition of troops to enhance the fencing could extend the military's current deployment at the border until the end of September, based on the rate of construction, according to two officials. The military mission, which began two months ago, was set to end on Jan. 31, NBC News reported. 

The fencing that is to be reinforced with concertina wire is not new. The troops currently deployed at the border have already added concertina wire at ports of entry in Arizona, Texas and California. The request for troops to add an extra 160 miles of wire was first reported by NPR.

A man arrested on Christmas Eve after police say he secretly filmed a teenage girl in a Virginia store dressing room is now accused of filming at least 60 other women and girls. 

Mumtaz Rauf, 39, is accused of using tiny cameras to film dozens of women and girls at the Forever 21 and H&M stores in the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, plus the Old Navy store nearby, Fairfax County police said Thursday. 

It is early in the investigation, and other stores may be identified in the more than 100 videos seized by police. 

Many of the victims are young girls recorded in states of undress with their mothers, police said.

"This is a massive case," Col. Edwin Roessler Jr. said at a news conference.

The recordings were made between Dec. 15 and Dec. 24. 

Rauf was arrested on Dec. 24 and charged with unlawful filming of a minor, which is a felony because of the victim's age.

The victim was inside the Forever 21 store at about 4 p.m. when she saw a black device pointing down from the wall of her dressing room.

"This young lady, on Christmas Eve, saw something that didn't seem right and took the right step," Maj. Ed O'Carroll said. 

The girl told police she believed photos may have been taken of her. 

A store employee then saw a man leave the store. Officers later found the suspect inside a dressing room of the H&M store. 

Both stores are known for having young customers. 

Officers found a pinhole camera, black tape and a battery-powered Bluetooth transmitter in Rauf's possession. Investigators believe he was using the transmitter to remotely gather video and photos. 

Police are investigating whether the images were shared or put online. 

Robbie Stark, the general manager of the Fair Oaks Mall, said mall officials and store employees are keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Mall officials are working to educate employees and make sure they're in touch with police, Stark said. 

Rauf is being held pending trial. It's unclear whether he has an attorney who could comment.

Police believe that some of the recordings were made at the following places, at the following times:

Dec. 22, 2018:

1:15-2:10 p.m., Fair Lakes Old Navy

2:50-3:20 p.m., Fair Oaks Mall H&M

3:40-4:15p.m., Fair Oaks Mall Forever 21

4:25-5:45 p.m., Fair Oaks Mall H&M

Dec. 24, 2018:

12:30-2 p.m., Fair Oaks Mall Forever 21 and H&M

Also, police believe recordings were made 9:15-10 p.m. Dec. 22, possibly at the H&M and Old Navy at the Tysons Corner Center mall.

The list of locations and times is likely to grow, according to police. 

If you think you may have been a victim of illegal filming, call police at 703-246-4600.

Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story. 

Firefighters and good Samaritans worked furiously to rescue dozens of puppies when fire broke out in a building next to a Danbury pet store Thursday.

Danbury fire officials said crews responded to 41 Lake Ave. Ext. around 9 p.m. for a fire at a Danbury Powersports warehouse.

When firefighters arrived they realized the fire was in a building next to the Puppy Love pet store, which had animals inside.

Those nearby jumped into action.

“The first thing I see is everyone running to the door. So we all ran to the door and the door was open at the time. Another gentleman already busted the door down. So we all started pulling the dogs out and just put them in the middle of the street," sand Daniel Spaine, who witnessed the flames.

All 86 puppies were rescued. The pet store suffered water damage from the firefighting response, but no fire damage. Fire officials said the owner has all the supplies needed to care for the dogs and the store could reopen within a matter of days.

There was damage to the Danbury Powersports building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Two people are in critical condition after a three-alarm fire in Torrington. 

The fire started in a home on Stoneridge Drive around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. 

Officials said one person managed to escape the burning home and has severe burns. 

After putting out most of the fire, firefighters went inside and saved a second person. 

The state and local fire marshal’s office are investigating to determine how and where the fire started. 

Hours after being sworn in, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., appeared to tell a cheering crowd of supporters that the Democrats “are gonna impeach the motherf---er," NBC News reported.

The comments about President Donald Trump were captured in video posted online by an immigration activist, who also posted a group selfie with the new representative.

NBC News has not verified the authenticity of the video, but has reached out to the representative and activist for comment.

“When your son looks at you and said ‘Mamma look you won, bullies don’t win,’” Tlabib appears to tell a cheering crowd. “And I said baby they don’t, because we’re gonna go in there and we’re gonna impeach the motherf---er.”

Tlabib is one of the first two Muslim women and the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress. She has called for Trump's impeachment before, including in an op-ed published Thursday by the Detroit Free Press.

A South Florida student is speaking out to defend her SAT score after testing officials say a 300-plus point increase could be evidence of cheating.

In the span of seven months Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School student Kamilah Campbell took her score of 900 and turned it into a 1230 in hopes of attending Florida State this fall. To her, it's evidence of her hard work, but the Educational Testing Service, which administers the SAT, is skeptical of its validity.

The ETS recently wrote Campbell a letter saying her scores are invalid because some of her answer patterns were too similar to those of others who took the test. Campbell challenged the allegation, submitting a letter from her tutor as well as the names of the books and online materials she used to prepare.

Campbell says it's not just an attack on her intelligence, but on her integrity and character.

"Students go through a lot, you guys may not see it but in high school it's a lot of pressure especially with classes, homework, and then on top of that you have to study for this test on top of your other homework, on top of other tests that you get while you're already in school, so you're putting forth a lot of hours," Campbell said at a news conference Wednesday. "And to have your effort taken away from you and them saying, 'Oh, well we think you cheated.' It's not fair."

The timing is important. Florida State's deadline for scores was Tuesday, but Campbell will remain in limbo until the issue is figured out. It's unknown how long the process will take but Campbell said she feels like her shot at school is in jeopardy as most of her friends have submitted their scores.

The College Board, which works with ETS to administer the SAT, said they can't comment on the specific facts of an individual student's scores that are under review.

"Working with ETS, our test security and administration provider, we place test scores under review when statistical analyses and other factors determine it is necessary," The College Board said in a statement. "When scores are under review, we work directly with students to collect relevant information and make determinations about the validity of the test scores following a comprehensive investigation of the evidence. We do not cancel scores based on a score gain alone; we will only cancel scores after we are confident that there is substantial evidence to do so."

One of Boston's most historic restaurants is closing its doors.

Right now, Durgin-Park in Faneuil Hall is still open for business. There are no signs the place is closing. But the workers have been told their last shifts will be next week, and now, many disappointed customers are trying to get in their final meals.

Like an under-cooked steak, long time customer Jonathan Berg says the news is leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

"This is another passing of a great institution," said Berg.

Rachelle Mazzone is Durgin-Park's bartender and says dozens of long-time workers were told the restaurant would be closing next weekend. She was told it's no longer profitable.

"Well, they say they were losing money, lot of maintenance of the building," said Mazonne. "It's a big, old building."

NBC10 Boston went by during Thursday's lunch rush. The workers say in the past, the place used to be packed during those hours. Mazzone believes the emergence of all the new restaurants in the Seaport District nearby is also hurting the bottom line.

"Young people like new places," said Mazonne.

Durgin-Park also runs a comedy club downstairs, and was always family-owned and operated until it went corporate back in 2007 after being sold to Ark Restaurants, based in New York.

According to Ark Restaurants CEO Michael Weinstein, the restaurant wasn't profitable anymore. He says business has been down about 30 percent over the last five years. Weinstein says the dwindling head count, increase in minimum wage and health care costs, the expensive upkeep of an old building and competition from the growing Seaport District were all factors in the restaurant's downfall.

"We're not picking up new local business," Weinstein said. "There are economic realities."

Weinstein says the restaurant will be closing after business on Jan. 11. He says the company is still looking for an interested buyer, but "it does not look hopeful."

Outside, the restaurant's slogan proudly hangs above the entrance, reading, "Established Before You Were Born." Inside, it's a blast from the past. The menu has traditional "Yankee cooking," like prime rib, clam chowder, Boston baked beans and shepherd's pie.

Since 1827, the business attracted faithful diners and tourists to its Faneuil Hall location, winning several culinary awards. And the wait staff was always encouraged to be rude — in a good way.

"When you saw the same people everyday, you were like, 'Joe, eat your beans. Harry, eat your hot dog, get away from me.' Nothing offensive, though," said Mazonne.

With time running out, Mazzone hopes she'll be able to say good bye to all her faithful customers, many who are unaware of the impending closing.

"It's going to be bad when they come to the door and it's locked," said Mazonne.

Berg says he's preparing for his final meal.

"I'll have to come back and bring a few friends," said Berg.

A Fanueil Hall spokesperson says Durgin-Park is still under lease for several years. There's also a smaller location at Logan Airport. That location's future is unclear.

The fire marshal is investigating the fire that damaged a house on Pheasant Run in Somers early Friday morning. 

Firefighters responded just after 2 a.m. to reports that a shed close to the house was on fire and arrived to find fire and heavy smoke from the back of the house, according to the fire department. 

Officials said the fire had quickly spread from the shed to the attic of the home. 

The fire was quickly knocked down and no one was hurt, according to the fire department.

Only minor injuries are reported after an incident involving a car and a train in North Canaan on Friday morning. 

A photo state police Tweeted shows some damage to the front of a car and they said the collision caused heavy traffic in the area of Main Street.

Just two weeks after issuing a recall for 874,000 F-Series pickups, Ford is announcing another two additional recalls of approximately 953,000 vehicles over Takata airbag inflators and an insufficient seat weld.

The larger of the two recalls is related to airbag inflators. Ford said in a news release Friday they were expanding the safety recall to 953,000 vehicles after the manufacturer declared more inflators were defective.

"This action represents a planned expansion of previously recalled vehicles to additional model years within the geographic zones defined earlier by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration," Ford said in a statement.

Ford said the recall expansion included 782,384 vehicles in the United States and federalized territories and 149,652 in Canada. A list of the vehicles affected by the recall expansion is below:

• 2010 Ford Edge and 2010 Lincoln MKX vehicles built at Oakville Assembly Plant, Nov. 28, 2008 to July 12, 2010
• 2010-11 Ford Ranger vehicles built at Twin Cities, Aug. 14, 2008 to June 21, 2014
• 2010-12 Ford Fusion, 2010-12 Lincoln MKZ and 2010-11 Mercury Milan vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, July 3, 2008 to July 29, 2012
• 2010-14 Ford Mustang vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, June 8, 2009 to Dec. 16, 2011

Ford also announced a second recall over insufficient seat welds in certain 2019 EcoSport vehicles. The bad weld is between the side member and A-bracket on the front seat back and may reduce the strength of the weld, potentially increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

This action affects approximately 87 EcoSport vehicles in North America including 63 in the United States and federalized territories and 13 in Canada, Ford said.

No injuries have been reported with the passenger side frontal inflators or the bad weld included in these recalls, Ford said.

Recall repairs will be done at local dealerships at no cost to the customer. Ford said they'll replace the frontal airbag inflator or module on those affected vehicles and they'll replace the front seats on the EcoSport vehicles with insufficient welds.

If your vehicle is in need of repair due to a recall, contact your local Ford dealer.

ONLINE: North American Ford Vehicles Recalled

A woman hired to clean the Calendar House in Southington is accused of stealing from the facility over a six-month span.

Employees of Calendar House, located at 388 Pleasant St., contacted police on Nov. 20 to report that cash and gift cards had been taken from offices and desks within the facility since May 2018, according to police. The website for Calendar House calls the facility a senior citizen center but says that Southington residents 55 and over can use it.  

The stolen items included $245 in cash from the Christmas Tree Fund, $5 in cash, a book of one-cent stamps, 20 Stop & Shop gift cards valued at $25 each, 16 Walgreens gift cards valued at $25 each, $45 in petty cash and $240 in cash from the Golf Fund, police said. 

Detectives interviewed employees and others who had access to the area and police said 37-year-old Melissa King, of Plainville, admitted to taking cash from the facility but denied taking gift cards.

She works for an independent cleaning contractor assigned to clean the facility, according to police.

King turned herself in around 6 p.m. on Dec. 26 after learning there was a warrant for her arrest and was charged with larceny in the third degree.

King posted a $2,000 surety bond and was given an appearance date of Jan. 7 for the Bristol Court.