Naugatuck cop shot in undercover operation in Waterbury, chief says

WATERBURY — An undercover officer from Naugatuck was wounded in a shooting in Waterbury Wednesday night, according to police.

The officer was involved in an undercover surveillance operation with another cop on Chase Parkway near the Interstate 84 eastbound on-ramp when their unmarked car was shot at around 10:10 p.m. Wednesday, said Lt. Ryan Bessette, public information officer for the Waterbury Police Department.

Naugatuck police said the department would not release the identity of the injured officer due to the undercover nature of the assignment.

“It is situations like these that remind us all of the dangers our jobs may entail as we put on our uniforms each day and we are thankful our officer is recovering,” Naugatuck police said in a Facebook post.

The officer who was wounded in the shoulder/chest area as he was sitting in the driver’s seat, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said in an early morning news conference Thursday. He was rushed to Waterbury Hospital, where he was treated and has since been released. The undercover officer in the passenger seat was not wounded, although the unmarked car was hit by gunfire.

Bessette described the injury as a minor, grazing type of wound.

Waterbury police are investigating the shooting with help from the Connecticut State Police.

The wounded officer was a member of a regional task force focusing on violent crimes. In addition to Waterbury and Naugatuck police, troopers from the Connecticut State Police and officers from the Shelton, Wolcott and Watertown.police departments are members.

“We thank the medical staff, the ambulance (workers) and the officers who were on scene that provided first aid to the officer and get him to the hospital as quickly as possible,” Spagnolo said.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting can contact the Waterbury Police Department’s Detective Bureau at 203-574-6941 or the Crime Stopper Tip Line at 203- 7551234.