The two Connecticut cops shot dead by a deranged gunman Wednesday night were deliberately lured to their deaths by a false 911 call, state police announced Thursday.
“Bristol Police received a 911 call reporting a possible domestic violence incident between two siblings at 310 Redstone Hill Road,” police said in a press release posted on Twitter.
“Preliminary information appears to point to the 911 call being a deliberate act to lure law enforcement to the scene,” the release said.
Police also identified the killer, also shot dead at the scene, as Nicholas Brutcher, 35.
His brother, Nathan Brutcher, 32, was wounded and remains at St. Francis Hospital.
According to police, Nicholas Brutcher was waiting outside when cops arrived at the Bristol house and opened fire, killing Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy.
A third cop, Officer Alec Iurato, was wounded and is undergoing surgery, police said.
Police have not divulged a motive for the deadly attack.
Bristol Police Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officers Alex Hamzy and Alec Iurato. Connecticut State Police via AP
Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould salutes during fallen officer Alex Hamzy’s procession. AP Photo/Jessica Hill
Bristol police officers console one another at the scene of the fatal shooting. AP Photo/Jessica Hill“This is a very complex, ongoing investigation led by detectives from the Connecticut State Police Major Crimes Unit at the request of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney,” the press release said.
In Bristol Thursday, police guarded the homes of the slain cops.
A massive police procession accompanied the bodies of the two officers to the medical examiner’s office, according to a report by WTIC-TV News on Thursday.
Fallen police officer Alex Hamzy was transported from the crime scene. Douglas Healey
Law enforcement line up during Hamzy’s procession in Bristol on Oct. 13, 2022. Douglas Healey
Bristol police said the suspects apparently lured police officers to their home before shooting them. AP Photo/Jessica Hill
Bristol police officer Seth Petzing wipes away tears during the procession. AP Photo/Jessica HillThe officers were described as “two exceptional police officers” by Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould during an emotional press conference early Thursday.
Demonte, 35, was co-recipient of the Officer of the Year Award in 2019. He was killed while his wife, Laura, is pregnant with the couple’s third child.
Hamzy, 34, a graduate of Bristol Eastern High School, is survived by his wife, his parents, and two sisters, police said.
