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  • Suspect fired over 80 rounds at Connecticut police officers, report finds

    Suspect fired over 80 rounds at Connecticut police officers, report finds

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    In agony due to a gunshot wound from an ambush that had just killed two comrades, a Connecticut police officer’s bodycam shows him hobbling back behind a police cruiser and firing a single bullet at the suspect. Investigators say the shot was fatal.

    “Shots fired, shots fired, more cars, send everyone,” a breathless Officer Alec Iurato said, according to a segment of body camera footage released Sunday. It’s part of a preliminary report by the state’s Office of the Inspector General in connection with Wednesday’s shooting in the town of Bristol.

    The inspector general’s office said the evidence so far showed Iurato’s shooting was justified.

    Officers Shot Connecticut
    Police investigate the scene where two police officers were killed the night before in Bristol, Conn., on Oct. 13, 2022. 

    Jessica Hill / AP


    Iurato, Sgt. Dustin DeMonte and Officer Alex Hamzy went to the house shortly before 11 p.m. in response to a 911 call, the inspector general’s office said. Authorities say the call was made by Nicholas Brutcher, 35.

    They spoke to Brutcher’s brother, Nathan, at a side door, and told him to step out of the house. As he did, authorities say Nicholas Brutcher opened fire on the officers from behind, shooting more than 80 rounds.

    DeMonte and Hamzy died of multiple gunshots to their heads and torsos, and Iurato was wounded in the leg.

    In Iurato’s body camera footage, he can be heard breathing heavily and exclaiming in pain as he makes his way around the house.

    Anguished screams echo through the residential street, at one point apparently saying “He’s dead!” It was not clear who was screaming.

    As Iurato reaches the police cruiser, a hail of at least two dozen gunshots rings out.

    The footage shows Iurato – his face reflected in the cruiser’s window – as he braces his service weapon on the vehicle, takes aim and fires once. Someone yells “He’s down,” before Iurato radios in that the suspect is down.

    Brutcher died from a gunshot wound to the neck with spinal cord injuries, authorities said. His brother Nathan was also wounded that night.

    Iurato, 26, a four-year member of the department, was released from the hospital on Thursday.

    Authorities are still investigating, and have not disclosed the circumstances that led to the 911 call, or Brutcher opening fire, although they said earlier that it looked like the officers were lured to the scene with the emergency call.

    The two slain officers’ body camera footage has not been released, and the segment from Iurato’s camera does not show the ambush.

    Demonte, 35, was a 10-year veteran officer. Hamzy, 34, had worked for the department for eight years. Their funerals are expected to be held in the coming week.

    Bristol, about 15 miles southwest of the state capital of Hartford, is home to about 60,000 people and to the sports network ESPN. 

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  • Bodycam shows wounded Connecticut cop shoot ambush suspect

    Bodycam shows wounded Connecticut cop shoot ambush suspect

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    BRISTOL, Conn. — In agony due to a gunshot wound from an ambush that had just killed two comrades, a Connecticut police officer’s bodycam shows him hobbling back behind a police cruiser and firing a single bullet at the suspect. Investigators say the shot was fatal.

    “Shots fired, shots fired, more cars, send everyone,” a breathless Officer Alec Iurato said, according to a segment of body camera footage released Sunday. It’s part of a preliminary report by the state’s Office of the Inspector General in connection with Wednesday’s shooting in the town of Bristol.

    The inspector general’s office said Iurato, Sgt. Dustin DeMonte and Officer Alex Hamzy went to the house shortly before 11 p.m. in response to a 911 call. Authorities say the call was made by Nicholas Brutcher, 35.

    They spoke to Brutcher’s brother, Nathan, at a side door, and told him to step out of the house. As he did, authorities say Brutcher opened fire on the officers from behind, shooting more than 80 rounds.

    DeMonte and Hamzy died of multiple gunshots to their heads and torsos, and Iurato was wounded in the leg.

    In Iurato’s body camera footage, he can be heard breathing heavily and exclaiming in pain as he makes his way around the house.

    Anguished screams echo through the residential street, at one point apparently saying “He’s dead!” It was not clear who was screaming.

    As Iurato reaches the police cruiser, a hail of at least two dozen gunshots rings out.

    The footage shows Iurato — his face reflected in the cruiser’s window — as he braces his service weapon on the vehicle, takes aim and fires once. Someone yells “He’s down,” before Iurato radios in that the suspect is down.

    Brutcher died from a gunshot wound to the neck with spinal cord injuries, authorities said. His brother was also wounded that night.

    The inspector general said the evidence so far showed Iurato’s shooting was justified.

    Iurato, 26, a four-year member of the department, was released from the hospital on Thursday.

    Authorities are still investigating, and have not disclosed the circumstances that led to the 911 call or Brutcher opening fire, although they said earlier that it looked like the officers were lured to the scene with the emergency call. The two slain officers’ body camera footage has not been released, and the segment from Iurato’s camera does not show the ambush.

    Demonte, 35, was a 10-year veteran officer. Hamzy, 34, had worked for the department for eight years. Their funerals are expected to be held in the coming week.

    Bristol, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of the state capital of Hartford, is home to about 60,000 people and to the sports network ESPN.

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  • Violent week a grim sign as targeted killings of police rise

    Violent week a grim sign as targeted killings of police rise

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    SEATTLE — The shooting deaths of two Connecticut officers and wounding of a third punctuated an especially violent week for police across the U.S. and fit into a grim pattern: Even as more officers left their jobs in the past two years, the number targeted and killed rose.

    According to organizations that track violence against police, 56 officers have been killed by gunfire this year — 14% more than this time last year and about 45% ahead of 2020’s pace. The country is on track for the deadliest year since 67 officers were killed in 2016.

    While the figures include a few officers killed by accidental gunfire, the number of ambushes in which police were injured or killed in surprise attacks with little chance to defend themselves has soared since 2020 and accounts for nearly half the officers killed this year.

    Such an attack apparently struck Wednesday in Bristol, Connecticut, where the state police said Bristol Police Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy were killed and Officer Alec Iurato was wounded when they responded to a 911 call that appears to have been “a deliberate act to lure law enforcement to the scene.”

    At least 11 police officers were shot around the country this week, including one fatally in Greenville, Mississippi, and another in Las Vegas.

    “Those are really scary numbers for law enforcement, not just for individual officers, but for the organizations they work for, which have to be taking this into account as they’re hiring, retaining and training officers,” said Bill Alexander, executive director of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, which tracks officer deaths in the line of duty.

    “It’s not lost on the officers that the job they signed up for has become more dangerous,” he said. “That has to be taking a significant mental toll on the agencies at large and the individual officers doing the work.”

    An off-duty officer was among five people killed in a shooting rampage by a 15-year-old boy in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday evening, but it wasn’t clear if the officer was targeted. In late June, a man in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky opened fire on officers serving a warrant in a domestic violence case, killing three and wounding five others — a scene that deputies called “pure hell.”

    The Fraternal Order of Police reported that through Sept. 30 of this year, there had been 63 ambush-style attacks in which officers were wounded, with 93 officers shot, 24 fatally. That’s a lower number of such attacks than the first nine months of 2021, when there were 75 ambushes of officers, with 93 shot and 21 killed. The total number of ambushes in which police were hurt last year more than doubled from 2020.

    The increase in ambushes and killings of police comes at a time when many departments around the country face staffing shortages, with some agencies down hundreds of officers and struggling to fill vacancies.

    COVID-19 has been the biggest killer of police officers in the past few years, with 280 deaths in 2020, 467 in 2021 and 64 so far this year, the Officer Down Memorial Page reports. But many officers have retired early or resigned out of frustration with what they see as sagging public support amid “defund police” efforts prompted by the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis officer and the deaths of other Black people at the hands of law enforcement.

    The number of officers nationally fell from roughly 719,000 in 2020 to 688,000 in 2021, according to data reported to the FBI. Hiring of officers has rebounded some this year, but resignations and retirements continue to prove a challenge for departments around the country, the Washington, D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum found in a survey early this year.

    Mike Zaro is the police chief in Lakewood, Washington, a city of about 60,000 people where four officers were assassinated at a coffee shop in 2009. He was the assistant chief at the time, and he said the department continues to see officers retiring early due to anxiety and stress that can be traced back to the attack.

    “I started back in the early ’90s, and back then and for a long time you just sucked it up and moved on whenever you dealt with any trauma related to the job, whether it was someone else’s or your own,” Zaro said. “After 2009, something of that magnitude, we recognized we had to try and do something different. We worked on the fly to develop methods of encouraging people to seek help. … Eventually it became ingrained in what we do. Today it’s called officer wellness.”

    Zaro recalls how crucial the support of the community was in helping the department get through the aftermath of the killings. Such support, he said, is instrumental in helping officers accept the risks they face.

    Many law enforcement supporters worry about whether departments still have such backing, given the tenor of the national discourse around policing. They stress that questionable or illegal uses of force by officers are the rare exception, not the rule, but police have lost trust from many people outraged at repeatedly seeing cellphone or body-camera videos online of officers abusing their power.

    “It would be infinitely harder to accept those risks and deal with the loss if the community is either suggesting the officers deserved it or making excuses for the person who committed the crime or just not supporting them,” Zaro said. “It’s more imperative now to make that part of the conversation, given the lashing out at police we’ve seen nationwide over the last couple of years.”

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  • Wounded officer shot, killed suspect who killed 2 colleagues

    Wounded officer shot, killed suspect who killed 2 colleagues

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    BRISTOL, Conn. — A Connecticut police officer who was wounded in an apparent ambush that killed two of his fellow officers fired the shot that killed the attacker, police said.

    In a Facebook post Saturday, police in Bristol said Alec Iurato was hit by gunfire and returned fire on Wednesday, killing Nicholas Brutcher. The state medical examiner’s office said Brutcher, 35, died from a gunshot wound to the neck with spinal cord injuries.

    Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy were gunned down outside a home where they had responded to a 911 call about possible domestic violence that authorities said appeared to be a deliberate act to lure police there.

    Witnesses said they heard about 30 gunshots during the confrontation.

    Iurato was released from the hospital on Thursday. Brutcher’s brother, Nathan Brutcher, was wounded in the shootout. Nathan Brutcher hasn’t been accused of playing any role in the attack.

    The bodies of both officers were brought to funeral homes in separate processions Friday, as hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight vigil outside the Bristol police station. In New York, the New York Yankees held a moment of silence in the officers’ honor before Game 2 of their American League Division Series game against Cleveland at Yankee Stadium.

    Police officials said all three officers were respected and had received commendations.

    Demonte, 35, was a 10-year veteran officer and co-recipient of his department’s 2019 Officer of the Year award. His wife is expecting their third child.

    Hamzy, 34, worked eight years for his hometown police force. Like Demonte, he was an adviser to a police cadet program.

    Iurato, 26, joined the Bristol department in 2018 and has a bachelor’s degree in government, law and national security.

    Nicholas Brutcher was a divorced father of two and a gun, hunting and fishing enthusiast, according to his social media pages.

    In a photo posted on both brothers’ Facebook pages in 2016, Nicholas Brutcher is pointing a handgun at the camera while others, including Nathan Brutcher, are holding rifles.

    Other photos show Nicholas Brutcher with a 10-point deer he shot and with fish he caught.

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  • Medical examiner: 2 officers died from multiple gunshots

    Medical examiner: 2 officers died from multiple gunshots

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    Two Connecticut police officers who were killed in an apparent ambush both died of multiple gunshots to their heads and torsos, the state chief medical examiner’s office said Friday as law enforcement officials remained tightlipped about the shooting.

    The two Bristol officers, Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy, were gunned down Wednesday night outside a home where they responded to a 911 call about possible domestic violence that authorities said appeared to be a “deliberate act” to lure police there. A third officer, Alec Iurato, was also hit by gunfire but survived.

    On Friday afternoon, a procession brought Demonte’s body to a funeral home in his hometown of North Haven, where he lived with his pregnant wife and two children. A subsequent procession brought Hamzy’s body to a funeral home in Plymouth.

    Video posted online showed the hearse carrying Hamzy drive past a large crowd gathered at a candlelight vigil on the street surrounding the Bristol police station.

    The suspected shooter, Nicholas Brutcher, 35, also was shot dead at the scene. He died from a gunshot wound to the neck with spinal cord injuries, the medical examiner’s office said late Friday afternoon. His death was classified as a homicide, meaning he did not shoot himself.

    Brutcher’s brother, Nathan Brutcher, also was wounded in the shooting. Information on his condition was not available.

    Law enforcement officials, meanwhile, released no new information about the shooting Friday.

    Here is what is known, and not known, about Wednesday night’s shooting:

    WHO SHOT WHO?

    While authorities say Nicholas Brutcher shot the three officers, it remains unclear who shot Brutcher and his brother.

    On Friday, state police referred questions to the state inspector general’s office, which is overseeing the investigation by state police. The inspector general’s office released no new information, and a spokesperson did not return messages Friday.

    Several other officials did not return messages, including a spokesperson for Bristol police and Bristol Mayor Jeffrey Caggiano.

    Witnesses said they heard around 30 gunshots and smoke from the shots filled the air.

    WHAT LED TO THE SHOOTING?

    Law enforcement officials also have not released any information on the events that preceded the killings or a motive.

    WHO WERE THE OFFICERS?

    Police officials said all three officers were respected and had received commendations.

    Demonte, 35, was a 10-year veteran officer and co-recipient of his department’s 2019 Officer of the Year award. His wife is expecting their third child.

    Hamzy, 34, worked eight years for his hometown police force. Like Demonte, he was an adviser to a police cadet program.

    Iurato, 26, joined the Bristol department in 2018 and has a bachelor’s degree in government, law and national security. He was released from a hospital Thursday morning.

    WHO WAS THE SUSPECTED SHOOTER?

    Nicholas Brutcher was a divorced father of two and a gun, hunting and fishing enthusiast, according to his social media pages.

    In a photo posted on both brothers’ Facebook pages in 2016, Nicholas Brutcher is pointing a handgun at the camera while others including Nathan Brutcher are holding rifles.

    Other photos show Nicholas Brutcher with a 10-point deer he shot and with fish he caught.

    Online state court records list no pending criminal cases or convictions for either brother.

    WHAT’S NEXT?

    What is expected to be an intensive investigation by state police is underway and no timetable has been set for the release of any information. Inspector General Robert Devlin is expected to issue a report at some point.

    Funeral services for Demonte and Hamzy are expected within the coming week or so and are expected to draw scores of police officers.

    Funeral plans for Nicholas Brutcher are unknown.

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  • Police: Officers may have been lured into deadly ambush

    Police: Officers may have been lured into deadly ambush

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    BRISTOL, Conn. — Two police officers who were shot dead in Connecticut had apparently been drawn into an ambush by an emergency call about possible domestic violence, authorities said Thursday. A third officer was wounded in the gunfire.

    State police said in a release that the 911 call Wednesday night about a dispute between two siblings appears to have been “a deliberate act to lure law enforcement to the scene” in Bristol.

    Bristol Police Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy were killed. Officer Alec Iurato was injured.

    Police said the suspect, Nicholas Brutcher, 35, was shot dead, and his brother Nathan Brutcher was wounded. The surviving brother, 32, was hospitalized, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether he or his family have an attorney or someone else who can speak for them.

    Neighbor Danny Rodriguez said he was outside his home across the street when the gunfire rang out.

    “I heard a whole war going on behind me,” he said. “It was so loud and crazy.”

    At one point, he said, a woman screamed, “You … killed them!”

    The deadly encounter came during a week when at least 11 police officers have been shot around the country.

    Nationwide, 54 officers have died by gunfire on the job so far this year, compared to 62 throughout 2021, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a nonprofit organization that tracks U.S. police officer deaths. (This year’s overall number is far behind last year’s pace, largely due to declining deaths from COVID-19.)

    Connecticut state police said they were still working to answer many questions that remained about the confrontation. No video of it has emerged publicly.

    State Police Sgt. Christine Jeltema said that when officers answered the call at roughly 10:30 p.m., they encountered someone outside the house, and shots were fired.

    Neighbors said they heard two or three sets of gunshots, about 30 in all.

    Schalitda Strong, who lives diagonally across the street from the shooting, said she ducked into her room “because it sounded so close.” Strong said she called 911, but police were already on their way.

    Police haven’t yet said who opened fire, who fired the fatal shots, or how many guns were fired in all.

    “They thought they were going somewhere to give help, and their lives were needlessly taken, and another seriously injured,” Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould said at a vigil Thursday evening. Gov. Ned Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz joined the crowd that packed a local high school auditorium to pay respects.

    Demonte, 35, was a 10-year veteran officer and co-recipient of his department’s 2019 Officer of the Year award.

    He was “very focused on his career and furthering his career and education,” the chief said. Demonte, who earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology, had worked as a school resource officer. He and his wife were expecting their third child, Gould said.

    Philip Demonte Jr. called his brother “an all-around good guy” with a great sense of humor.

    “No one had anything bad to say” about him, his brother said. “Terrible loss, someone who died for no reason.”

    Hamzy, 34, had gotten many letters of commendation during his eight years on his hometown police force, the chief said. Like Demonte, Hamzy was an advisor to a police cadet program.

    “The outpouring of love, support and prayers from so many is deeply appreciated,” Hamzy’s family said in a statement.

    Scores of officers lined a street and followed a vehicle carrying Hamzy’s body from the shooting scene late Thursday morning. Demonte died at a hospital.

    Iurato, 26, joined the Bristol department in 2018 and has a bachelor’s degree in government, law and national security, the chief said. Iurato was released from a hospital Thursday morning.

    Bristol, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of the state capital of Hartford, is home to about 60,000 people and to the sports network ESPN.

    The governor called the shooting “a senseless tragedy,” ordering flags to be lowered to half-staff in the officers’ honor.

    It followed shootings of police officers this week in Greenville, Mississippi; Decatur, Illinois; Philadelphia, Las Vegas and central Florida. Two of those officers, one in Greenville and one Las Vegas, were killed. And in North Carolina on Thursday evening, a police officer was among five people killed in a shooting in a residential area.

    The last Connecticut law enforcement officer shot to death while on duty was Newington Officer Peter Lavery, who was killed while responding to a domestic violence call in 2004.

    Additionally, New Haven Officer Robert Fumiatti died in 2007, five years after being shot during a drug investigation. A medical examiner said he died of a heart problem, but his name was added to a national memorial for fallen police officers after his family argued that his health problem was related to his healed gunshot wound.

    ———

    This story was first published Oct. 13, 2022. It was updated Oct. 14, 2022, to correct the last time a police officer was fatally shot while on duty in Connecticut. It occurred in 2004, not in 1918. The story was previously updated to correct the spelling of the name of the wounded officer. His name is Alec Iurato, not Alex Iarato.

    ———

    Peltz reported from New York. Associated Press writers Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, and Karen Matthews in New York contributed to this report.

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  • 2 officers killed, 1 wounded in Connecticut shooting

    2 officers killed, 1 wounded in Connecticut shooting

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    2 officers killed, 1 wounded in Connecticut shooting – CBS News


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    Two police officers were killed and one was wounded when a suspect lured them in with a 911 call and opened fire. The gunman was also killed. Lilia Luciano has the latest.

    Be the first to know

    Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.


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  • Police: 2 officers fatally shot, 3rd wounded in Connecticut

    Police: 2 officers fatally shot, 3rd wounded in Connecticut

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    BRISTOL, Conn. — Two police officers were fatally shot and a third wounded in Connecticut, state police said Thursday.

    The officers were shot in Bristol, about 15 miles southwest of Hartford, state police said, and the wounded officer was reported to have “serious injuries.”

    Additional details, including when the officers were shot and the circumstances of the shooting, weren’t immediately released. State police said a news conference would be held as soon as possible.

    “We ask your thoughts and prayers be with the families, the officer and all those impacted,” state police said on Twitter.

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  • Jury awards nearly $1 billion to Sandy Hook families in Alex Jones case | CNN Business

    Jury awards nearly $1 billion to Sandy Hook families in Alex Jones case | CNN Business

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    (Pool/WFSB)

    Erica Lafferty, the daughter of Sandy Hook Elementary principal Dawn Hochsprung, who was killed during the school shooting, told reporters Wednesday that the verdict against Alex Jones is a moment “years in the making.”

    Lafferty recounted how difficult it was for her and her family to deal with the threats fueled by the conspiracy theories led by Jones.

    “As I was upstairs testifying about the rape threats that were sent to me, Alex Jones was standing right here holding a press conference. After almost a decade of threats and messages from conspiracy theorists led by Jones, this is a moment years in the making,” she said.

    Lafferty went on to say how she wished she could tell call her mother to tell her about the verdict and the years leading up to it.

    “And in this big moment, like in every big moment, since the shooting, I wish I could just call my mom and tell her about it. I would tell her about the horror of watching Alex Jones hold court with the press outside, right here. About the disappointment of so many news outlets who’ve known us since 12-14 run his words unfiltered. The heartbreak of reliving the shooting as so many families shared stories of their slain loved ones. But I would also like to tell her about the bright spots. News stations, like NBC Connecticut, refused to give a dangerous conspiracy theorist a platform throughout this trial, and I thank them. The jury bravely bore witness to our pain, sitting through hours upon hours of testimony that will never leave their minds,” she said.

    Lafferty then thanked the people in her life who were by my side throughout this trial… You guys were my guideposts and my shining lights throughout all of this and I cannot thank you enough for your compassion, extreme expertise, and your friendship. I wish I could tell ,my mom about all of this. I wish I could tell her about so many things that can happen, that have happened since she was murdered. Mostly that I’ll never stop missing her.”

    She added that while she hopes to put this chapter of her life behind her, she and her family are aware of the stain Jones’ actions have left on their lives.

    “I wish that after today, I could just be a daughter grieving her mother and stop worrying about conspiracy theorists sending me threats or worse. But I know that this is not the end of Alex Jones in my life. I know that his hates, his hate, lies and conspiracy theories will follow both me and my family through the rest of our days. But I’m also hopeful for what happened here today. That it may save other families from high-profile tragedies from the cycle of abuse and re-traumatization that we have all been put through as we simply tried to survive the hardest days, weeks, and years of our lives,” Lafferty said.

    She continued, “I’m incredibly proud and thankful for the message that was sent here today. The truth matters. And those who profit off of other people’s pain and trauma will pay for what they have done. There will be more Alex Joneses in this world, but what they learned here today is that they absolutely will be held accountable.”

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  • Infowars host Alex Jones ordered by Connecticut jury to pay $965 million over Sandy Hook ‘hoax’ claims

    Infowars host Alex Jones ordered by Connecticut jury to pay $965 million over Sandy Hook ‘hoax’ claims

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    WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — The conspiracy theorist Alex Jones should pay $965 million to people who suffered from his false claim that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax, a jury in Connecticut decided Wednesday.

    The verdict is the second big judgment against the Infowars host over his relentless promotion of the lie that the 2012 massacre never happened, and that the grieving families seen in news coverage were actors hired as part of a plot to take away people’s guns.

    It came in a lawsuit filed by the relatives of five children and three educators killed in the mass shooting, plus an FBI agent who was among the first responders to the scene. A Texas jury in August awarded nearly $50 million to the parents of another slain child.

    “ Experts testified that Jones’s audience swelled when he made Sandy Hook a topic on the show, as did his revenue from product sales. ”

    The Connecticut trial featured tearful testimony from parents and siblings of the victims, who told about how they were threatened and harassed for years by people who believed the lies told on Jones’s show.

    Strangers showed up at their homes to record them. People hurled abusive comments on social media. Erica Lafferty, the daughter of slain Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hochsprung, testified that people mailed rape threats to her house.

    Mark Barden told of how conspiracy theorists had urinated on the grave of his 7-year-old son, Daniel, and threatened to dig up the coffin.

    Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis discusses a question from the jury with attorneys on Tuesday.


    H. John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media/AP

    Testifying during the trial, Jones acknowledged he had been wrong about Sandy Hook. The shooting was real, he said. But both in the courtroom and on his show, he was defiant.

    He called the proceedings a “kangaroo court,” mocked the judge, called the plaintiffs’ lawyer an ambulance chaser and labeled the case an affront to free speech rights. He claimed it was a conspiracy by Democrats and the media to silence him and put him out of business. “I’ve already said ‘I’m sorry’ hundreds of times, and I’m done saying I’m sorry,” he said during his testimony.

    Twenty children and six adults died in the shooting on Dec. 14, 2012. The defamation trial was held at a courthouse in Waterbury, about 20 miles from Newtown, where the attack took place.

    The lawsuit accused Jones and Infowars’ private parent company, Free Speech Systems, of using the mass killing to build his audience and make millions of dollars.

    Experts testified that Jones’s audience swelled when he made Sandy Hook a topic on the show, as did his revenue from product sales.

    Don’t miss: Alex Jones’s audience and Infowars’ revenue grew as Jones alleged Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax

    Also: Alex Jones has created a ‘living hell’ of harassment and death threats, testify Sandy Hook school parents

    In both the Texas lawsuit and the one in Connecticut, judges found the company liable for damages by default after Jones failed to cooperate with court rules on sharing evidence, including failing to turn over records that might have showed whether Infowars had profited from knowingly spreading misinformation about mass killings.

    See: Texas jury orders Alex Jones to pay more than $49 million in damages in Sandy Hook case

    Because he was already found liable, Jones was barred from mentioning free-speech rights and other topics during his testimony.

    Jones now faces a third trial, in Texas around the end of the year, in a lawsuit filed by the parents of another child killed in the shooting.

    It is unclear how much of the verdicts Jones can afford to pay.

    During the trial in Texas, he testified he couldn’t afford any judgment over $2 million. Free Speech Systems has filed for bankruptcy protection. But an economist testified in the Texas proceeding that Jones and his company were worth as much as $270 million.

    Read on: Alex Jones’s Infowars picks new CRO for bankruptcy

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  • Sandy Hook parent recounts years of harassment after Alex Jones called him a crisis actor | CNN Business

    Sandy Hook parent recounts years of harassment after Alex Jones called him a crisis actor | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    In emotional testimony on Thursday, Robbie Parker, the parent of a Sandy Hook shooting victim, recounted the violent threats and harassment he and his family have suffered in the years since conspiracy theorist Alex Jones called him a crisis actor.

    The day after their six-year-old daughter, Emilie, was murdered in the 2012 shooting, Parker gave a statement to the press. Hours later, Jones was on his InfoWars show describing him as a crisis actor to his audience of millions. (Jones acknowledged that he spoke about Parker by name when he testified earlier during the trial, which is to determine how much he must pay to families of Sandy Hook shooting victims for his lies about the massacre.)

    Later that night, unable to sleep, Parker said he saw the start of a deluge of hateful messages about the press conference on the Facebook memorial page for Emilie. Parker said he removed Emilie’s Facebook memorial page weeks after the shooting because the harassment was too much to control.

    “I felt like I couldn’t protect Emilie’s name, or her memory anymore so I had to get rid of it,” Parker said through tears.

    As days passed and the harassment increased, Parker’s family grew paranoid. They questioned what of Emilie’s life to share with guests during the wake and funeral services. Ultimately, they chose to have a closed casket wake out of concern someone would try to take photos of Emilie’s body or her things, Parker testified.

    “I was paranoid and he was paranoid. Like we just shut down. We were just zombies. I don’t even hardly remember what was said on the day of the funeral,” Alissa Parker said during testimony before her husband. “They stole that from me.”

    Robbie Parker, who has in many ways been the face of Jones’ hoax narrative about the shooting, said he reported the harassment and threats to law enforcement and social media attacks to Facebook and YouTube. “I was like pleading and pleading for their help,” he said. But that didn’t work either, he testified.

    For years, he tried to ignore it, choosing not to engage with the people threatening his family and calling him an actor. “I’d been taught that like, you don’t engage with a bully,” he said. “If somebody’s bullying you, you ignore them and eventually they get tired and they leave you alone. And that had worked for me in my life.”

    The family moved to Washington state in early 2014. Within months of moving, however, Robbie Parker realized the “hoaxers” had found them. He said he saw a YouTube video detailing the sale of their new home and address.

    “And so immediately that sense of security that I thought that we had was totally shattered,” he said. “They would come in these waves and it was almost like I knew when Alex Jones said something because we would get a huge wave of stuff.”

    Through tears, he recalled a man confronting him on the street in Seattle in the fall of 2016, nearly four years after the shooting. Yelling and cursing at him, the man asked him how he could sleep at night and how much he was paid by the government for acting in the hoax.

    Robbie Parker said he confronted the man attempting to defend his family for the first time as a crowd of onlookers gathered. He said he eventually walked away from the heckler, but first he circled the block several times to make sure no one was following him before returning to his family.

    His wife described the change she saw in her husband as the weight of their family’s safety got to him.

    “I would say the most painful is just how it’s changed his view about himself. He felt so much shame. And he felt like it was his fault that all of this happened. And he felt like it was because of him that our family got attacked and all the other families got attacked,” she said.

    The emotional testimony capped off the third week of the trial. Plaintiffs in three Connecticut lawsuits against Jones, including family members of eight school students and employees and one FBI agent who responded to the scene, have all been condensed into the trial.

    The jury has now heard from most of the named plaintiffs in the case and the plaintiffs’ attorneys have indicated they’ll wrap up their case early next week.

    Jones is expected to testify again next week during his own defense case. Then the jury will deliberate to determine how much Jones and the company should pay in damages to each of 15 plaintiffs that say their lives were negatively impacted by his’ hoax coverage of the shooting.

    Judge Barbara Bellis found the defendants liable by default last year largely because Jones and the company did not comply in turning over evidence during the discovery process, according to court filings.

    Robbie Parker had flown back and forth each week to sit in the Connecticut courtroom ahead of his testimony this week. At the beginning of his testimony Wednesday, he said: “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”

    – CNN’s Oliver Darcy contributed to this report.

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  • Las Vegas Aces win first WNBA title, Chelsea Gray named MVP

    Las Vegas Aces win first WNBA title, Chelsea Gray named MVP

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    UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Las Vegas never had a professional sports champion — until Sunday.

    Chelsea Gray scored 20 points to lead the Las Vegas Aces to their first WNBA title, and the city’s first pro title, in a 78-71 road win over the Connecticut Sun in Game 4.

    Gray went 9 of 13 from the floor, and was named Finals MVP after averaging 18.3 points in the series.

    Vegas finished on an 8-0 run. As the buzzer sounded, league MVP A’ja Wilson, who played every minute of the game, grabbed the ball and stomped the floor before being mobbed by her teammates.

    “We champs! We champs! We champs!” Wilson screamed at teammates as they pulled on their championship hats and T-shirts before the trophy ceremony.

    Riquna Williams had 17 points for Vegas, Kelsey Plum added 16 points, Jackie Young had 13 and Wilson added 11 points to go with her 14 rebounds.

    Wilson hopes this is just the beginning for the franchise.

    “You see it. You see it,” Wilson said in the on-court celebration. “This is what we’re building. This is what we’re doing. This is it. I’m so happy right now.”

    Courtney Williams had 17 points to lead Connecticut and Alyssa Thomas had her second straight triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Jonquel Jones added 13 points and DeWanna Bonner had 12.

    “When you come up short it certainly, really hurts,” Sun coach Curt Miller said. “But that means that there was something that mattered, and something special among that group of players.”

    For Aces coach Becky Hammon, who didn’t get a title in her standout WNBA career, the ring completed a decades-long quest. She left an assistant coach position with Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs to take over in Las Vegas. The move paid off.

    “They’re unbelievable on the court, but they’re unbelievable humans, first and foremost,” Hammon said. “They care about each other. They invest in each other. It’s been an absolute honor to be their coach. I saw excellence and I wanted to be a part of it.”

    Hammon also paid tribute to former Aces coach Bill Laimbeer, who was on the floor for the ceremony: “He put this team together and saw the pieces.”

    Aces owner Mark Davis, who also owns the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, wasn’t with his football team Sunday. He was in Connecticut to get a trophy. He hoisted it, then turned it over to gleeful players who did the same.

    “Las Vegas, we are world champions,” Davis said.

    The Aces led by two points at the half and four points after three quarters. They held a six-point lead in the fourth when Plum was called for a flagrant foul after running into Bonner while the Sun guard was attempting a 3-pointer and sending her to the floor holding her right ankle.

    Bonner hit all three free throws before Jones’ short jumper cut the lead to a point. The Sun then tied the game at 67 on free throw by Courtney Williams and took a 71-70 lead on two fouls shots from Brionna Jones.

    But Las Vegas had the answers.

    Riquna Williams 3-pointer put the Aces back on top and Gray’s step-back jumper extended the lead back to 75-71 with under a minute left. A’ja Wilson then stole a pass and Plum hit a short jump shot to secure the win.

    SCRAPPY GAME

    As expected, it was a physical game — appropriately played on an NFL Sunday. The Sun got a scare when Bonner took an inadvertent elbow to the gut from Gray late in the first quarter and was on the floor for a few minutes before being helped to the bench. She came back into the game later in the half, apparently suffering no ill effects. Natisha Hiedeman and Plum got into a short pushing match in the second quarter, eliciting technical fouls for both players. That was all before Plum’s flagrant in the fourth.

    NO GRAY AREA

    Gray wasn’t a WNBA All-Star this season, nor was she a first-team all-league pick, and had voiced her displeasure about that. After scoring 21 points in each of the first two games of the Finals, she scored just 11 points in Game 3, but bounced back. Way back.

    “They can keep that All-Star and first team,” Gray said. “I got the ring.”

    INCLUSIVE ORGANIZATIONS

    Before the game, both coaches reflected on the makeup of organizations in the Final. The Aces are led by Hammon and two Black women executives in general manager Natalie Williams and Nikki Fargas, president of business operations. The Sun are owned by the Mohegan Tribe, have a woman president in Jen Rizzotti and are coached by Curt Miller, a gay man.

    “Women’s basketball is such a story in terms of diversity and inclusion. I mean, our league defines it and I’m so proud to be a part of it,” Miller said, adding that he hopes to be an inspiration to any gay child “wondering if they can chase a career in sports.”

    Hammon said she believes the diversity in her team’s front office has made it stronger.

    “You can make a lot better picture with a box full of crayons than just a pencil,” she said.

    VEGAS PRIDE AND PARADE

    The start of the celebration was shown on the video screens at the Raiders’ stadium during the NFL game against Arizona on Sunday, with fans breaking into loud cheers.

    They can cheer more in a few days: a parade on the Las Vegas Strip is planned for Tuesday night.

    “What a team, what talent, what a victory! You have made Las Vegas so proud!” Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said in a statement. “Thank you for your effort, discipline & focus. We can’t wait for the celebrations & a great parade!”

    Wilson said after the game that paradegoers should be ready for a party: “When you come to the parade, you better be four shots in. If you ain’t four shots in, don’t come.”

    TIP-INS

    The Aces improved to 4-0 in this year’s playoffs with two days rest. … Vegas is the fourth WNBA team to win a title with both a league MVP and coach of the year … The Sun came up short after having been among the last four WNBA teams standing for each of the last four seasons, making it back to the Finals for the first time since 2019.

    “Nobody expected us to be here,” Bonner said. “They expected us to lose to Chicago. They expected us to lose to Dallas. Despite all of that, we made it to the Finals.” ___

    This story has been corrected to show the Aces’ general manager’s first name is Natalie.

    ___

    More WNBA playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-playoffs and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • WAMC Gives Back During June Fund Drive

    WAMC Gives Back During June Fund Drive

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    Press Release
    –

    Jun 9, 2022


    ALBANY, N.Y., June 9, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    WAMC/Northeast Public Radio completed its June Fund Drive on June 9, 2022, raising over $1,000,000 to support the station’s award-winning news and cultural programming thanks to the generosity of listeners contributing during 12 hours over four days of on-air fundraising and also to the Locked Box. This drive marks the second of three this year.

    Taking precautions for the health and safety of volunteers and staff, WAMC has continued to delay returning to its traditional Fund Drive. Instead, the Locked Box and Fund Drive were completed with the help of a few volunteers and the WAMC staff, who fielded calls and online donations.

    WAMC was honored to partner with The Food Pantries For The Capital District and Janitronics to help feed hundreds of families this summer through the drive. 

    WAMC President and CEO Alan Chartock says, “Even in our most challenging times, including COVID and political disruption, WAMC’s listeners have come through to keep this station going. This is an incredible family, and I couldn’t be more proud. I’m forever grateful for the support once again.”

    Ray Graf, newscaster and Vox Pop host, adds: “These are tough economic times; it’s difficult for many to even put food on the table. Add to that a world that is still picking up the pieces of a pandemic and still the WAMC family is there to help. It amazes me.”

    WAMC is a listener-supported station that relies on contributions to stay alive. Its Fund Drives primarily occur three times a year: February, June, and October. Each drive has a $1 million goal to support the general operations of WAMC/Northeast Public Radio.

    If you’re interested in finding out more about their Fund Drives, or to donate or volunteer, please contact Amber Sickles at 1-800-323-9262 ext. 133.

    WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a non-commercial, public radio station and nonprofit organization that presents award-winning news and cultural programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. WAMC’s listening area reaches parts of seven states, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire; as well as parts of Canada. With over 400,000 monthly listeners, WAMC ranks among the most-listened-to public radio stations in the United States. WAMC is a member of National Public Radio and an affiliate of Public Radio International. For more information on WAMC, please visit www.wamc.org or call 518.465.5233.

    WAMC-FM 90.3 FM, Albany, NY; WAMC 1400 AM, Albany, NY; WAMK 90.9 FM, Kingston, NY; WOSR 91.7 FM, Middletown, NY; WCEL 91.9 FM, Plattsburgh, NY; WCAN 93.3 FM, Canajoharie, NY; WANC 103.9 FM, Ticonderoga, NY; WRUN 90.3 FM, Remsen-Utica, NY; WAMQ 105.1 FM, Great Barrington, MA; WANZ 90.1 FM, Stamford, NY; WANR 88.5 FM, Brewster, NY; WQQQ 103.3FM Sharon, CT; 103.9 FM Beacon, NY; 97.3 FM, Cooperstown, NY; 106.3 FM Dover Plains, NY; 96.5 FM Ellenville, NY; 102.1 FM Highland, NY; 97.1 FM Hudson, NY; 88.7 FM Lake Placid, NY; 106.3 FM Middletown, NY; 90.9 FM Milford, PA; 107.7 FM Newburgh, NY; 90.1 FM Oneonta, NY; 99.3 FM Oneonta, NY; 95.9 FM Peekskill, NY; 93.1 FM Rensselaer-Troy, NY; 92.9 FM Scotia, NY, 107.1 FM Warwick, NY, and online at www.wamc.org, www.facebook.com/wamcradio, www.instagram.com/wamcradio, and www.twitter.com/wamcradio.

    Source: WAMC Northeast Public Radio

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  • How contact tracing is being used in America’s fight against coronavirus

    How contact tracing is being used in America’s fight against coronavirus

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    How contact tracing is being used in America’s fight against coronavirus – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    In order to stop the rapid spread of COVID-19, public health officials say the nation will need an “army” of contact tracers who can identify those with the disease and people they’ve had close contact with. Tony Dokoupil interviews Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker about his state’s efforts in snuffing out the virus and gets a demonstration from a volunteer contact tracer in New Haven, Connecticut.

    Be the first to know

    Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.


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  • New Bipartisan ‘Solutions Tank’ Launched to Solve Connecticut’s Fiscal Challenges

    New Bipartisan ‘Solutions Tank’ Launched to Solve Connecticut’s Fiscal Challenges

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    Implementing best practices, resources, and citizen activism to promote smart public policy solution

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Jan 18, 2019


    WESTPORT, Conn., January 18, 2019 (Newswire.com)
    –
     Greg Kraut, member of the Westport Representative Town Meeting and former candidate for the 136th State Representative District, today unveiled The Economic Policy Project, a groundbreaking solutions-first institute designed to work with — and educate — government leaders. The project is dedicated to filling a void for Connecticut’s fiscal challenges by combining the best ideas from all political parties and from across the country.

    The institute’s mission is to promote smart, bipartisan public policy solutions to stimulate job growth, strengthen education, revitalize the state’s transportation network, promote sustainable budgeting, optimize revenue streams and limit debt and wasteful spending.

    “I started The Economic Policy Project to provide policymakers access to specialized solutions and thoughtful analysis in order to make smarter economic policy decisions that advance Connecticut’s prosperity,” said Greg Kraut, Founding Solutionist for The Economic Policy Project. “Our state needs all the help it can get to meet the economic and social challenges it is facing today. There are so many bright people in the private sector who want to help and don’t have the time to run for office. The Economic Policy Project is a way for ordinary citizens to become engaged in the process and become a trusted resource for government officials to make smarter, more informed decisions.”

    During his campaign for the 136th State Representative District, Kraut launched a 21-point economic recovery plan that serves as a catalyst for The Economic Policy Project. Kraut remains determined to offer solutions that make use of best practices from other states and from other cities to move Connecticut forward. His economic recovery plan identifies $1 billion in immediate new, non-taxpayer revenue sources needed to balance the state’s budget and grow the economy.

    “Many people, both Democrats and Republicans, reached out to me after the election to continue helping our state, and they also wanted a platform to enact real change,” said Kraut. “We are harnessing all of the social capital of our most intelligent citizens to be put to work. We want to give the state’s government officials the tools to make smart financial decisions and encourage them to use as a non-partisan resource.”

    Media Contact:
    Dwain Schenck
    Phone: 203-223-5230
    Email: dwain@schenckstrategies.com

    Source: The Economic Policy Project

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  • Greg Kraut’s Westport RTM Letter to Connecticut General Assembly – ‘No Rail Increases and No Service Reduction’

    Greg Kraut’s Westport RTM Letter to Connecticut General Assembly – ‘No Rail Increases and No Service Reduction’

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    Press Release
    •


    updated: Feb 28, 2018

    Greg Kraut Westport RTM Letter Says: No Rail Increases and No Service Reduction – Calls for Immediate Legislation to Prevent This


    WESTPORT, Conn., February 28, 2018 (Newswire.com)
    –
     The following is a Westport, Connecticut Representative Town Meeting letter addressing the CT General Assembly Transportation Committee presented by Greg Kraut. 

    Dear Connecticut General Assembly Transportation Committee,

    I call for all rail increases to be immediately halted by the legislature. The rail fares have gone up 23 percent and now the Governor wants to raise them another 21 percent. At the same time, commuters will get reduced service. This only happens when we have a monopoly and the decision making is controlled by one person, the Governor. We live in a democracy, not a dictatorship. Even the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation James Redeker at the Connecticut Department of Transportation public forum on February 28th, at the University of Connecticut-Stamford publicly stated, “This is not my plan, so don’t blame me”. This is unacceptable and will just be another factor to cause people and business to leave our state. I have had hundreds of constituents email and call me expressing their concern regarding this matter. The fare is already high, and this may be the tipping point for riders. Without a long-term vision or strategy, this seems misguided and an anti-growth policy which is the opposite strategy that we need now. It is now abundantly clear that we need to have all rail increases approved by the legislature.

    Please help!

    Greg Kraut
    Westport RTM
    Kraut for Connecticut!
    203-557-0995
    www.gregkraut.com

    Source: Kraut for CT

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  • Greg Kraut Westport RTM Letter to CT General Assembly – No Rail Increases and No Service Reduction

    Greg Kraut Westport RTM Letter to CT General Assembly – No Rail Increases and No Service Reduction

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    Press Release
    •


    updated: Feb 27, 2018

    Greg Kraut Westport RTM Letter to CT General Assembly Transportation Committee – No Rail Increases and No Service Reduction – Calls for Immediate Legislation to prevent this.


    WESTPORT, Conn., February 27, 2018 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The following is a Westport, Connecticut Representative Town Meeting Letter addressing the CT General Assembly Transportation Committee presented by Greg Kraut. 

    Dear Connecticut General Assembly Transportation Committee,

    I call for all rail increases to be immediately halted by the legislature. The rail fares have gone up 23% and now the Governor wants to raise them another 21%. At the same time, commuters will get reduced service. This only happens when we have a monopoly and the decision making is controlled by one person, the Governor. We live in a democracy, not a dictatorship. This is unacceptable and will just be another factor to cause people and business to leave our state. I have had hundreds of constituents email and call me expressing their concern regarding this matter. The fare is already high and this may be the tipping point for riders. Without a long-term vision or strategy, this seems misguided and an anti-growth policy which is the opposite strategy that we need now. It is now abundantly clear that we need to have all rail increases approved by the legislature.

    Please help!

    Greg Kraut

    Westport RTM

    Kraut for Connecticut!

    D) 203-557-0995

    www.gregkraut.com

    Source: Kraut for CT

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