A New Haven man has been charged with manslaughter, for his involvement in the August, 2021 drug overdose death of a Branford resident, according to information shared by Branford Police Department (BPD) on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

On Sept. 28, Branford police arrested Shawn Plaza, 35, of New Haven, on a warrant. Plaza was charged with 2nd Degree Manslaughter (53a-56) and Tampering with Physical Evidence (53a-155). He was detained on a $150,000 court set bond and arraigned in New Haven Superior Court on Thursday, Sept. 29.

BPD issued the news at its Facebook page, where the department also noted, “Branford Police Detectives engaged in a comprehensive investigation which took over a year to secure this arrest warrant. Our agency is committing to battling the opioid crisis from all fronts and is actively investigating other similar cases which resulted in the death.”

BPD also reminds families in the community battling with addiction that they can access Social Worker resources for assistance by calling (203) 481-4241. In the event of a drug-induced emergency, call 9-1-1.