BRIDGEPORT — A local man, Dante Gavin French, turned himself in to authorities late Friday night in connection with the murder of Derrick Martin on Hewitt St.
French, 20, surrendered at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 17, following an active warrant for his arrest.
He is accused of the fatal shooting of 48-year-old Martin, whose body was discovered unresponsive on the front porch of a residence at 197-199 Hewitt St. on the evening of Jan. 9.
Despite immediate life-saving efforts by patrol officers, Martin was pronounced dead at the scene.
Within a day of the murder, Lead Homicide Detective Thomas Harper, with the support of the Homicide Unit led by Sgt.
Pasquale Feola, secured an arrest warrant for French.
The swift apprehension was attributed to the collective efforts of the Major Crimes Unit and the DIVERT (video) Unit, with Capt.
Kevin Gilleran overseeing the operations.
French faces multiple charges, including Murder, Carrying a Pistol Without a Permit, and Violation of a Protective Order.
His bond has been set at $1.75 million.
The successful resolution of the case also involved collaboration with several law enforcement agencies, including the Office of the State’s Attorney, New York City Police Department, Metro North Police, and the Bridgeport Fugitive Task Force, highlighting the importance of inter-agency cooperation in major crime investigations.
