The city of Bristol (CT) is mourning the loss of two of the city’s police officers.
Two officers were killed and one critically injured after they responded to a 911 call of a domestic dispute. The call appears to have been an attempt to attract officers to the property for a planned ambush.
When officers arrived at the property at 310 Redstone Rd. at approximately 10:30 PM, they were met by an armed man, clad in a camouflaged outfit, standing outside of the house who opened fire with an AR15, striking all three of the responders.
Sgt. Dustin Demonte, 35, was fatally injured by gunfire and died at the scene. Officer Alex Hamzy, 34, was struck and transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Officer Alec Iurato, 26, was wounded by the suspect and transported to St. Francis Hospital, where he underwent surgery for a severe gunshot wound.
The shooter has been identified as 35-year-old Nicholas Brutcher. The suspect was shot and killed during the ensuing firefight. His younger brother Nathanial, 32, was also present and was wounded during the exchange. He remains in a local area hospital. It is unknown whether the younger brother was involved in the shootings.
A local CT station reports that Brutcher had been thrown out of a bar before heading to the residence. One neighbor told a local reporter he was the “rowdy on” amongst his pack. “Nick was the big, rowdy one,” a neighbor of his brother Nathaniel told The Post on Thursday.“He was the big, funny one, a big teddy bear. He was huge. Big guy, but sweet as pie.“The family must be traumatized,” she added.
A different neighbor described Nathaniel as “a skater punk” and “a man-child” who lives in a trash-strewn trailer with beer cans piled up on the unkempt property. He also believed he was into drugs, adding: “Nate is high as a kite every time I see him. But cocaine doesn’t drive you to call cops and shoot them.” He said Nicholas would visit his brother on occasion and was “always drinking.”
Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould remarked that the two slain officers, Demonte and Hamzy, were “incredible, remarkable men. They showed up, they answered a call for service. They thought they were going somewhere to give help and their lives were needlessly taken and another seriously injured,” Gould said, also referencing injured officer Iurato.
Demonte, a decorated officer, leaves behind his wife Laura, expecting the couple’s third child and daughters, Phoebe and Porter. Hamzy is survived by his wife, Katie.
Officer Iurato was released yesterday from the hospital after successful surgery and is recovering at home.
