BRISTOL, Conn. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Two police officers who were shot and killed responding to a domestic violence call between two siblings in Connecticut on Wednesday night appear to have been “lured” there in an ambush that also seriously wounded a third officer, who remained hospitalized Thursday, state police said.
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State police said a “very complex” investigation was ongoing, but that preliminary information “appears to point to the 911 call being a deliberate act to lure law enforcement” to a home at 310 Redstone Hill Rd. in Bristol around 10:30 p.m.
Upon arriving at the home, the officers “immediately encountered” a suspect—one of two brothers who police said the purported domestic call was about.
Two officers were mortally wounded in gunfire from an AR-15-style rifle, with one pronounced dead at the scene and the other at Bristol Hospital, police said. Police identified them as Sgt. Dustin Demonte, 35, and Officer Alex Hamzy, 34.
Demonte served for 10.5 years and is survived by his pregnant wife and two children, while Hamzy served for eight years and is survived by his wife.
Officer Alec Iurato, 26, was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, where he was undergoing surgery for serious wounds.
Police said suspect Nicholas Brutcher, 35, was shot dead. His younger brother, Nathan Brutcher, 32, was shot and wounded and remained hospitalized Thursday.
Authorities said they were still working to answer many questions that remained about the confrontation. No video of it has emerged publicly.
Witnesses said they heard three sets of gunshots, about 30 in all.
Police haven't yet said who opened fire, who fired the fatal shots, or how many guns were fired in all.
At a somber news conference in which multiple officials choked back tears, a visibly distraught Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould said the community and the police department had both been “rocked” by the deaths.
“Words cannot express the sadness and grief that brings me before you this morning,” Gould said. “We lost two exceptional Bristol police officers, and a third was seriously injured as a result of senseless violence.”
Connecticut State Police Sgt. Christine Jeltema described the shooting as “isolated” and said there is no threat to the public.
Gov. Ned Lamont directed flags across the state to be lowered to half-staff effective immediately in honor of the officers.
“This is a senseless tragedy, and my prayers are with their families, loved ones, and fellow officers,” Lamont wrote. “I also ask the residents of CT to keep in their prayers a third officer who was shot and is currently in the hospital with serious injuries.”
“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,” the governor continued. “These officers are heroes and will always be remembered for the honorable service they provided to their town and state.”
Lamont directed flags across the state to be lowered to half-staff effective immediately in honor of the officers, who he confirmed were from the Bristol Police Department.
A sea of law enforcement and first responders was later seen outside Bristol Hospital.
“We ask your thoughts and prayers be with the families, the officer and all those impacted,” state police tweeted.
The officers were shot during an especially violent week for police in the United States, with at least 10 shot across the country.
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 a man wanted on a homicide charge, police said. And in Decatur, Illinois, two police officers conducting a traffic stop in a central Illinois city were shot and wounded early Wednesday by a motorist who died after officers returned fire, police said.
Late Wednesday, a sheriff's deputy in central Florida was shot in the chest while investigating a report of a family disturbance at a home. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the deputy was “saved” by his bulletproof vest.
A Las Vegas police officer was fatally wounded early Thursday after he and a partner stopped a vehicle while answering a domestic violence call, the Clark County sheriff said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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