Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Connecticut
End of Watch: Friday, November 20, 1998
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: 8 years
Badge Number: 648
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 20, 1998
Weapon Used: Rifle
Suspect Info: Acquitted
Conservation Officer Jim Spignesi was shot and killed while checking for suspected illegal deer hunting in a private field near the intersection of Palmer Road and Pudding Hill Road in Scotland, Connecticut.
Officer Spignesi was with another officer when he was struck by a round from a high-powered rifle. His partner arrested the suspected shooter, an off-duty state corrections officer, who claimed the shooting was an accident. The suspect was thought to be hunting illegally after dark when the incident took place.
The suspect was found not guilty as there was no clear way to prove when he fired the fatal shot.
Officer Spignesi had served with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for eight years. He was survived by his father, three brothers, and his sister.