In the early hours of his 37th birthday, a Black / African American man named Chaz Rogers was found behind an apartment building on Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was around 3 a.m. on July 1, 2017, when police discovered him suffering from several gunshot wounds, at least one of which was to his head. Rogers was rushed to Bridgeport Hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead less than two hours later, becoming the city's 14th homicide victim of the
year. His friend, Brushaun Baker, described the shooting as tragic and remembered Rogers as a gentle and caring man. A funeral was held for him at Mount Aery Baptist Church the following week.
The investigation into the killing quickly pointed to a prime suspect, 38-year-old Jayvell Washington. In the weeks following Rogers' death, the conflict escalated. On July 23, 2017, Chaz Rogers' brother, Eugene Rogers, was shot and wounded on Trumbull Avenue. Washington was identified as the gunman in that incident and was subsequently arrested and charged with attempted murder. While in custody, he was named the primary suspect in Chaz Rogers' slaying, with police indicating their intention to charge him with that murder as well. Authorities suggested that the violence was part of a larger criminal dispute involving guns and drugs.
The animosity between the Rogers family and Washington was deep-seated and continued to unfold publicly. Chaz Rogers' older brother, Hassan "Boobie" Rogers, was later arrested for allegedly opening fire on a friend of Washington's, whom he held responsible for his brother's death. In a strange twist while Bridgeport's mayor, Joseph Ganim, was visiting the Rogers family home to offer his condolences for Chaz's death, he was nearly struck by gunfire in an apparent drive-by shooting. While police announced they believed two other individuals were involved in Chaz Rogers' killing and sought public help, reports later focused on Jayvell Washington's conviction for the 2019 killing of Eugene Rogers, leaving the specific legal resolution for the murder of Chaz Rogers less clear.
