Esteban Carpio

Who is Esteban Carpio?

Esteban Carpio is a convicted prison inmate, serving a life sentence for the murder of a policeman in 2005.

Carpio was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 30, 1978. He was convicted of the murder of Providence Police Detective Sgt. James L. Allen on April 17, 2005 at Providence Police headquarters. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

While Carpio was being questioned by the Providence Police for the stabbing of an 85-year-old woman, a detective left the third floor interview room, leaving Allen alone with Carpio. Carpio took Allen's gun and shot him twice, killing him. He then jumped out of the window, and was apprehended 45 minutes later.

At his arraignment Carpio came in wearing a mask, designed to keep the offender from spitting or biting others, with his eyes red, cheeks, forehead, and cranial region swollen, stunning the courtoom, with his family making accusations of police brutality. According to a press conference statement made at the time by Providence Police Chief Dean M. Esserman, Carpio's injuries were sustained as a result of his jump from the third floor of a building and struggle with law enforcement. At trial, Christopher Zarrella, a state police detective who helped in the arrest, testified that he had punched Carpio in the face three times. According to that day's testimony, Zarrella broke bones in Carpio's face. An FBI investigation concluded that Providence police did not use excessive force. The case was partially discussed on Court TV, with commentary from journalists, former detectives, and correspondents all remarking on the state of Carpio before and after. Journalist Diane Dimond commented, "That looks to me, like brain damage time."