Two Connecticut police officers were fatally shot and one was seriously injured after a possible ambush Wednesday in the suburban city of Bristol, police said.
Connecticut State Police said Thursday that an emergency call about possible domestic violence appeared to have been “a deliberate act to lure law enforcement to the scene” in Bristol, which is about 20 miles southwest of Hartford, the state’s capital.
The Bristol police officers responded to the call, which involved two siblings, around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday when they were confronted by a man outside the home, Connecticut State Police Sgt. Christine Jelteman said at a Thursday news conference.
Shots were fired, and one officer was pronounced dead at the scene, Jelteman said. Two other officers were hit by the gunfire. One died at a hospital and the other was seriously wounded.
Police haven’t yet said who opened fire, who fired the fatal shots, or how many guns were fired in all. No video of the confrontation has emerged publicly.
Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould identified the officers who died as Sgt. Dustin Demonte, 35, and Officer Alex Hamzy, 34. He said the officer who was injured, 26-year-old Alex Iarato, is recovering after surgery.
The suspect, 35-year-old Nicholas Brutcher, was shot dead, and his 32-year-old brother, Nathan Brutcher, was wounded, police said.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the Brutchers or their family have an attorney.
Neighbors said they heard two or three sets of gunshots, about 30 in all.
“I heard a whole war going on behind me,” said Danny Rodriguez, who said he was outside his home across the street when the gunfire rang out. It was so intense that he could smell gunpowder in the air, he said.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s office directed flags in Connecticut be lowered to half staff in honor of the officers.
“This is a senseless tragedy, and my prayers are with their families, loved ones, and fellow officers,” Lamont tweeted.
Police said a procession would escort the bodies of the two officers who died from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office.
“We ask your thoughts and prayers be with the families, the officer and all those impacted,” Connecticut State Police tweeted.
The shooting comes days after a police officer in Mississippi was killed Tuesday and several other people were injured by gunfire. Wednesday, three Philadelphia police officers were injured as a SWAT team tried to arrest a man on a homicide charge. And in Decatur, Illinois, two officers were shot and injured Wednesday while conducting a traffic stop.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.
USA TODAY
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