Bristol Police offer update on killing of two Connecticut police officers
Bristol Police offer update on killing of two Connecticut police officers
Two police officers were killed and another was seriously wounded after two suspects ambushed them with a fake 911 call late Wednesday night, Connecticut State Police announced.
All three officers were members of the Bristol Police Department. Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould identified the fallen officers as Sgt. Dustin Demonte, 35, and deputy Alex Hamzy, 34, in a Thursday morning press conference.
Demonte is survived by his wife, Laura, and two children. Demonte and his wife were expecting a third child in the coming months. Hamzy is survived by his wife, Katie.
The third officer, Alec Iurato, is in the hospital and has had surgery for a severe gunshot wound.
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Officer Alec Iurato, right, with Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould, left. (Bristol Police Department.)
The scene outside a Connecticut hospital where one police officer is fighting for his life after two others were shot in Bristol. (WTIC) (WTIC)
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Police say officers were responding to reports of a domestic dispute between two brothers, identified as Nicholas Brutcher, 35, and Nathan Brutcher, 32.
Police now believe the call to have been a deliberate act to lure police officers to the scene, where the Brutchers waited with loaded rifles.
Gunfire erupted as soon as police arrived at the scene and both Hamzy and Nicholas were pronounced dead soon after. Demonte was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Nathan Brutcher was injured and remains in custody at the hospital.
State police asked for prayers for the families of the fallen officers and for the officer who has been hospitalized.
Slain Bristol Police officer Dustin Demonte. (Connecticut State Police). (Connecticut State Police)
Slain Bristol police officer Alex Hamzy. (Connecticut State Police). (Connecticut State Police)
At least one witness of the incident reported hearing two long bursts of gunfire before state police responded to the area.
"We just, like, hearing the gunshots like ‘pop pop pop pop pop pop’ up and stop, and then stop for maybe 30 seconds and then another round ‘pop pop pop pop pop’ and then it just stopped. And then [we] started hearing sirens and everything else," Ted Krawiec, an eyewitness, told Channel 3.
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Democratic Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont ordered the U.S. and state flags to be lowered across the state Thursday morning.
"This is a devastating reminder of the dangers that police officers face every day to protect our families and neighbors from all kinds of situations. These officers are heroes and will always be remembered for the honorable service they provided to their town and their state," Lamont said in a statement. "
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