On the evening of July 25, 2015, Derrick Hill, a 33-year-old Black / African American man, was fatally shot in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The incident occurred outside the Rootsman Kitchen on Park Avenue, a Jamaican eatery where he had just finished a meal. As Hill was leaving the restaurant around 6:30 p.m., he was confronted by a gunman who opened fire. In a desperate attempt to save his life, Hill turned to run back into the establishment, but the assailant continued to fire multiple shots.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. The restaurant's owner, Dennis Hines, was also struck by a stray bullet but his injuries were not life-threatening.
The investigation into the murder of Derrick Hill, a father of four, led police to identify two individuals they believed were responsible. In May 2016, the U.S. Marshal Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force apprehended 33-year-old Gregory Hughes, who had been sought by authorities for several months. Hughes was subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the fatal shooting.
In April 2017, just as his trial was about to begin, Gregory Hughes accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder under the Alford Doctrine, which meant he did not admit to the facts of the case but acknowledged that the prosecution had enough evidence to likely secure a conviction. Hughes was sentenced to a 15-year prison term, suspended after seven years, to be followed by five years of probation. Authorities believe Hughes acted as the getaway driver in the shooting. The man who fired the shots that killed Derrick Hill has never been identified, and that aspect of the case remains unresolved. In December 2020, a judge reduced Hughes's sentence by two years, making him eligible for parole.
