2 charged with shooting paintballs at New Haven officers

NEW HAVEN — Two men were arrested after they fired paintball guns at an unmarked police car and officers who pursued them on foot Sunday, police said.

Christian Pierre Calcano, 20 and Jean Capierre Calcano-Quinones, 23 are both charged with assault on a police officer and two counts each of first-degree reckless endangerment.

The pair also are charged with carrying a dangerous weapon, third-degree criminal mischief and interfering with an officer.

The arrests came after police said they received “numerous complaints” of the weekend of people shooting paintballs at pedestrians and motor vehicles, Capt. Anthony Duff said.

Around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, two officers in an unmarked police car responded to Howard Avenue and Putnam Street in the Hill neighborhood, Duff said.

The officers spotted two men carrying paintball guns. As the car approached the two men “began to fire paintballs at the unmarked car,” which was struck several times.

Police chased the two men on foot, during which “the two suspects fired at the following officers. One officer was struck three times,” Duff said.

The two men were caught and the paintball guns were seized.

Duff said the initial report did not describe any injury to the officer who was hit. He declined to name the two officers involved.

Both Calcano and Calcano-Quinones are free on a $350,000 bond, and are due to appear in Superior Court in New Haven Nov. 24.