Media Advisory: Sunday December 14 - Memorial and Speakout for Zoe Dowdell: Eight Years Without Justice
DareToStruggleCT
For Immediate Release
December 12th, 2025
Dare to Struggle CT
Contact: DareToSt...@protonmail.com
Mobile: (203) 747-8073
MEDIA ADVISORY
Memorial and Speakout for Zoe Dowdell: Eight Years Without Justice
Dare to Struggle will be hosting a memorial service and speakout for Zoe Dowdell who was murdered by New Britain Police on December 14th, 2017. These officers are still employed by NBPD.
WHAT:The event will start with a memorial service including words from family and friends of Zoe Dowdell. There will also be speakers from Dare to Struggle and the community detailing the lack of justice over the past 8 years and what is needed to get justice.
WHEN: Sunday, December 14th, 3:00 PM EST
WHERE: Central Park, 231 Main St., New Britain, CT, 06051
WHO: Featured speakers will include Zoe Dowdell’s immediate family, friends of Zoe Dowdell, members of Dare to Struggle, and others from the community.
WHY: Zoe Dowdell was murdered by New Britain Police officers on December 14th, 2017. That night, officers drove cruisers and unmarked cars when they tried boxing in the car Zoe Dowdell was driving, which they suspected to be related to a string of local crimes. When Zoe tried to drive away, the officers fired 28 shots at the car, killing Zoe and injuring the two passengers. Kyle Jones, the first officer to open fire, admitted in his deposition that NBPD did not have independent information connecting the individuals in the vehicle to the suspects from the robberies. However, NBPD did know the suspects’ race, and since Zoe and the others in the car were Black, they fit the description; Kyle Jones fired into the car because Zoe and the teens were Black. The State Attorney’s report, released January 3rd, 2019, justifies the officers’ use of force in a blatant disregard of facts and falsely claims the officers’ lives were in danger. To this day, all five of these officers—Kyle Jones, Christopher Kiely, Chad Nelson, Marcin Ratajczak, and Michael Slavin—remain on the New Britain Police force to our knowledge. In fact, Kyle Jones was recently promoted to captain and Marcin Ratajczak was one of the officers who arrested one of our activists on August 5th for protesting an anti-homeless business.
# # #
More Information: New Britain Killer Cop Gets Promoted
Dare to Struggle is a multinational organization open to anyone who wants to resist and stop injustice no matter who holds political office. We don’t lobby politicians. We don’t use insular activist lingo. We don’t chase social media fame. We don’t seek careers or corporate sponsorship through activism. We’re committed to standing with the people subjected to the horrors of the American nightmare. We go to the neighborhoods facing police brutality, ICE raids, poverty, and evictions, talk to people about the problems they face, and organize people in collective struggle. We know that radical change only happens when people step outside of routine protest or expecting politicians to do it for us and take bold, collective action.