‘Complex’ Bristol police shooting probe stalls release of documents and 911 call in deadly ambush
More than a month after two Connecticut police officers were killed and another wounded in an apparent ambush, few details have been released about the investigation and whether any charges will be filed against the shooter’s brother.
The deaths of Bristol Police Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy are being investigated by the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crimes unit. A separate investigation is being conducted by state Inspector General Robert Devlin into whether Bristol Police Officer Alec Iurato, 26, who survived the ambush, was justified in fatally shooting the suspect, Nicholas Brutcher.
The investigation has been “incredibly complex,” according to State Police Sgt. Christine Jeltema, a spokesperson for the agency. Investigators are interviewing neighbors, employers, witnesses and family members while also gathering all evidence connected with the shooting, she said. While the investigation is pending, Jeltema said state police will not release any documents or recordings, including the 911 call that authorities believe was a hoax to lure the Bristol officers to the Redstone Hill Road home the night of Oct. 12.
Once the investigation has been completed, Jeltema said it will be up to New Britain State’s Attorney Chris Watson to determine if any charges will be filed.
Authorities have not said what, if any, role Nicholas Brutcher’s brother, Nathan, had in the shooting. Nathan Brutcher was also wounded during the incident, but police have not said who shot him. No other information has been released about his recovery and police have not responded to questions about him.
Hearst Connecticut Media Group has submitted requests under Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act for documents and recordings related to the shooting, including the events that may have led up to the incident. State police have declined to supply the information until the investigation into the shooting is complete. Devlin is still determining what can be released by his office, officials said.
In the hours before the shooting, sources have said the Brutcher brothers were involved in an incident at nearby Bleachers bar on Middle Street. The owner of a business adjacent to the bar told Hearst Connecticut Media that investigators requested his security video footage that showed the Brutcher brothers walking toward Bleachers the night of the incident.
A Bristol police incident log for the evening of Oct. 12 shows officers were called to Bleachers for a report of a “disturbance” at 8:52 p.m. The same log indicates that Iurato was the primary officer responding to a “routine domestic” at 310 Redstone Hill Road at 10:29 p.m.
However, police have declined to release the incident report from Bleachers and have not responded to questions about whether the Brutcher brothers were charged or cited that night. There are no pending criminal charges listed against the Brutchers on the state judicial website.
Although Gov. Ned Lamont has referenced a semiautomatic rifle being used in the ambush, describing the weapons as “cop-killers,” authorities have not responded to questions about the type of gun used in the incident. No one sought a red flag risk warrant for authorities to seize firearms owned by the Brutcher brothers prior to the shooting, state judicial officials have said.
Devlin’s investigation has provided some insight into what may have happened the night of the shooting. According to a preliminary report released Oct. 16, Devlin concluded that Iurato was justified when he fired the single shot that killed Nicholas Brutcher.
“Although some details of the investigation remain to be determined, it is evident from the evidence collected so far that Officer Iurato’s use of deadly force was justified,” Devlin wrote in the report.
DeMonte, Hamzy and Iurato had responded to a 911 call for a domestic dispute at 310 Redstone Hill Road where Nicholas Brutcher lived, Devlin said in the report. As Hamzy and DeMonte were talking with Nathan Brutcher at a side door of the home, Nicholas Brutcher popped out from behind the officers and began firing at them, Devlin said.
“As Nathan Brutcher stepped out, gunfire erupted,” Devlin said. “Nicholas Brutcher fired well over 80 rounds attacking the officers from behind, fatally shooting both Sgt. DeMonte and Officer Hamzy, and wounding Officer Iurato.”
While wounded, Iurato managed to make it around the home and took cover behind a police cruiser as more gunshots can be heard in the portion of his body-cam video released with Devlin’s findings.
Once the gunfire paused, Iurato stepped out and fired one shot that killed Nicholas Brutcher, the video showed. He died from a spinal cord injury to his neck, according to the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.