Body camera footage shows the moment a Connecticut police officer shot and killed a man who had ambushed and killed two of his fellow officers. The suspect, Nicholas Brutcher, was fatally shot after he opened fire on police officers who were responding to a 911 call.
Body camera footage released by the Connecticut Office of the Inspector General shows the moment a Bristol police officer shot and killed a man who had ambushed and killed two of his fellow officers. The suspect, Nicholas Brutcher, was fatally shot after he opened fire on police officers who were responding to a 911 call.
The incident occurred on October 12, 2022, when Brutcher called 911 to report that his brother was acting aggressively and that he needed help. When police officers arrived at Brutcher's home, he opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, killing Sergeant Dustin DeMonte and Officer Alex Hamzy. A third officer, Alec Iurato, was also shot but survived.
Connecticut Police Officer Shoots and Kills Man Who Ambushed and Killed Two Cops
According to a report released by the Inspector General, Brutcher was plagued by personal problems at the time of the incident, including the impregnation of his ex-wife by a former friend. He was also angered over a traffic stop that occurred hours earlier and a subsequent dressing down at the hands of his mother over the police encounter.
The report found that Brutcher was "the murderer here" and that it would be wrong to place any blame for the attack on the traffic stop officers or others in his life.
Connecticut Police Officer Shoots and Kills Man Who Ambushed and Killed Two Cops
Brutcher's friends and relatives told investigators that he had become suicidal in the months leading up to the killings. On the night of the incident, police pulled Brutcher and his brother over after they brawled at a bar. Police called their mother to pick them up, and she berated him at the scene.
An analysis of Brutcher's phone suggested that a former partner thought she was pregnant, and that he believed he too was to soon become a father. He had also repeatedly installed and uninstalled Grindr, a dating app for the LGBTQ community, and appeared to want to "keep this aspect of his life secret."
Connecticut Police Officer Shoots and Kills Man Who Ambushed and Killed Two Cops
"The analysis of Nicholas Brutcher's phone, interviews of family/friends, and a comprehensive review of all collected evidence provided insight into the stressors of Nicholas Brutcher's life that likely contributed to the ambush attack on officers," the report said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Connecticut Police Officer Shoots and Kills Man Who Ambushed and Killed Two Cops
