Two police officers were fatally shot and a third wounded while responding to a domestic violence call in Connecticut, authorities said Thursday, amid an exceptionally violent week for officers across the country.
The officers were shot in Bristol, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Hartford, Connecticut state police said, and the wounded officer was reported to have “serious injuries.”
Sgt. Christine Jelteman of the state police said the officers from the Bristol Police Department responded to domestic violence call involving two siblings at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and were met by a man outside the home. “Shots were fired, fatally wounding one officer on scene,” Jeltema said at a news conference Thursday.
Two additional officers were hit by gunfire, Jeltema said. One died at a hospital and the other was seriously wounded, police said.
The suspected gunman was also fatally shot, and the gunman's brother was shot and wounded, Jeltema said.
Authorities did not say who fired all of the fatal shots. Jeltema said the investigation was in preliminary stages.
Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould said the slain officers were Sgt. Dustin Demonte, 35, and Officer Alex Hamzy, 34. Gould said Officer Alex Iarato, 26, underwent surgery and was recovering.
A neighbor told Hearst Connecticut Media that the gunfire woke her up at about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday.
“It was horrible,” said Robyn Lauzon, who lives around the corner from the shooting site. “I heard three rounds of 9 or 10 gunshots each.”
Lauzon added, “It was scary as hell. And the sirens were crazy. It was like a war zone.”
State police tweeted that a procession would escort the fallen officers from Bristol Hospital to the state medical examiner’s office in Farmington, about 9 miles (14 kilometers) away.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said he was directing flags in the state to be lowered to half staff in honor of the officers, who he said were killed while responding to a domestic violence call.
“This is a senseless tragedy, and my prayers are with their families, loved ones, and fellow officers,” Lamont said.
The officers were shot during an especially violent week for police in the United States. On Tuesday night in Mississippi, Greenville Police Department Detective Myiesha Stewart was killed and several other people were injured by gunfire as she and other officers responded to a call, authorities said.
Early Wednesday, three Philadelphia police officers were shot and wounded at a home and a suspect was killed when a SWAT team tried to arrest the man wanted on a homicide charge, police said. And in Decatur, Illinois, two police officers conducting a traffic stop were shot and wounded early Wednesday by a motorist who died after officers returned fire, police said.
