(CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE)
A Connecticut man faces charges after allegedly running over his 17-year-old girlfriend with his truck in what authorities are calling a “domestic violence” incident. The arrest warrant, obtained by multiple news outlets, details the events leading up to the tragic incident.
Cooper Oullette, 19, has been charged with first-degree manslaughter and delivery of alcohol to a minor in connection with the 2023 death of 17-year-old Sophie Ringquist. The warrant, cited by the Hartford Courant, outlines the case against him. Oullette surrendered to Connecticut State Police on July 12 and was released on a $50,000 bond. He was expected to appear in court on July 15. It remains unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
The investigation began on May 21, 2023, when Ringquist was brought to Bristol Hospital in Bristol, Conn., by family members. They reported that she had fallen out of her boyfriend’s Chevy pickup truck earlier that evening in Burlington, Conn. She later succumbed to her injuries.
The warrant states that before the alleged incident, Oullette and Ringquist attended a party in Terryville. Witnesses reportedly saw the two “engaged in multiple incidents of physical domestic violence,” WTIC-TV reported. Oullette, who was 18 at the time, allegedly drank alcohol, kept some in his truck, and distributed some at the party. Authorities noted that the couple was in an “on-again, off-again relationship.”
That night, the couple left the party together in Oullette’s truck after he allegedly interrupted efforts to get Ringquist another ride home. According to the warrant cited by WTIC-TV, Oullette was driving “erratically” and pulled over to a side road, where he began recording Ringquist with his phone. Authorities allege that in the clip, Ringquist tried to get out of the truck while Oullette accelerated, causing her to fall to the ground. Ringquist then texted someone, “I’m scared,” before getting back into the truck. Oullette drove in the direction of her home.
Evidence, including cell phone data and witness statements, reportedly shows Oullette’s truck speeding through Ringquist’s neighborhood. Authorities said, per the warrant, that Ringquist sent a photo to someone showing herself with a bloody nose and a mark on her face. Investigators believe that at some point, Oullette accelerated while Ringquist was outside the truck, crushing her with one of the truck’s tires. He then dropped her off at home. Oullette initially told police that Ringquist fell from the truck after feeling nauseous and that he had stopped the truck before she fell.
Ringquist’s obituary states she died on May 21, 2023, “as a result of a senseless accident.” She was described as a passionate young woman who was expected to graduate from Lewis Mills High School a semester early and study construction management.
In a statement shared with NBC Connecticut, Ringquist’s family thanked law enforcement for their hard work on the case. “We implore anyone who has been a victim of or witness to domestic violence to stand up for the victim and report it to the police,” the statement read. “We would like to thank all friends, family, and people Sophie had an impact on for their continued prayers as we negotiate this part of the process in our continued search for truth and justice for Sophie.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
