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Bristol, Connecticut, police ambush: Suspect described as 'rowdy' divorced dad who was 'always drinking'
By Julia Musto
Published October 14, 2022
People who knew Nicholas Brutcher, the suspect in the killing of two Connecticut police officers, described him as "rowdy" and "always drinking."
In an interview with the New York Post, a neighbor of his brother, Nathaniel Brutcher, said that "Nick was the big rowdy one." The woman added that Nicholas, who the Post said was a divorced father, was a "big teddy bear."
Another neighbor told the outlet that Nicholas would visit his brother and that he was "always drinking."
"I don’t know much about [Nicholas], except he drinks a lot," he said. "The dude’s always drinking. He’d be around, checking on his brother."
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The same neighbor described Nathaniel Brutcher as a "man-child" who he claimed was into drugs.
Photos on Facebook show the brothers posing with guns.
Nicholas Brutcher poses holding a gun (Facebook / Nicholas Brutcher)
According to the female neighbor, Nicholas and Nathaniel have two other brothers and an adopted sister.
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A preliminary investigation found officers had been responding to a 911 call reporting a possible domestic violence incident between the brothers. Police believe the 911 call was a deliberate act to lure law enforcement to the scene.
Upon arrival around 10:30 p.m. ET, the officers were immediately encountered by a suspect and shots were fired.
Nicholas was shot and pronounced dead at the scene, and Nathaniel was wounded and transported to a hospital. It remains unclear whether Nathan had shot at officers.
Officer Alex Hamzy, 34, died at the scene and Sgt. Dustin Demonte, 35, was taken to Bristol Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officer Alex Iurato, 26, was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford for surgery after sustaining a severe gunshot wound.
Neighbors told The Associated Press that they heard about two or three sets of gunshots.
Police have yet to said who opened fire, who fired the fatal shots or how many guns were fired in all.
Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould called the incident "senseless violence," saying his department had been "rocked."
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Gov. Ned Lamont ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff in the officers’ honor.
A vigil was held Thursday afternoon for the fallen officers at Bristol Eastern High School – Hamzy's alma mater – and a "Bristol Police Heroes Fund" has been established through the Bristol Police Union at Thomaston Savings Bank to support the families.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/bristol-connecticut-police-ambush-suspect-described-rowdy-divorced-dad-drinking