Two police officers shot to death in Connecticut; attacker killed and another officer seriously injured responding to fight between brothers
Two police officers and their attacker were killed and another officer seriously injured in a shooting last night in Bristol, Connecticut. in an apparent case of domestic violence between two brothers, local authorities informed.
One of the officers killed left his wife pregnant. At a news conference this morning, State Police Sergeant Christine Jeltema said the downed officers had responded to a 911 call around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in Bristol, about 110 miles north of NYC.
When they arrived they were met by a suspect outside the scene and exchanged shots. One officer was fatally wounded at the scene and two others were taken away. Once at the hospital, a second officer was pronounced dead. and a third remains seriously injured.
Jeltema said the suspect who opened fire was fatally shot and pronounced dead at the scene and his brother was also shot and transported to a hospital, where his condition is unknown.
The brothers involved in the domestic dispute have not been identified and the origin of the dispute is unknown. “This is a Isolated incident and we want the community to know that there is no threat to the community,” said Sgt. Jeltema, quoted by NBC News.
Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould identified the slain police officers as officers Dustin DeMonte, 35, and Alex Hamzy, 34; and the injured person is Alec Iurato (26), who was undergoing emergency surgery.
“Words cannot express the sadness and pain that this morning brings me,” Gould said at the news conference, denouncing the deaths as “the result of senseless violence.”
DeMonte was hired in 2012, assigned to the patrol division and worked as a school resource officer. “He is survived by his wife Laura and his children Phoebe and Porter. And one on the way,” Gould said. Hamzy joined the police in 2014 and was assigned to the patrol division.
In a similar tragedy, in January two Hispanic NYPD officers were shot and killed in Harlem while responding to a domestic incident where the gunman was also shot down. The case prompted the President Joe Biden visits NYC to condemn gun violence.
