Wounded Connecticut police officer fatally shot suspect in ambush that killed 2, bodycam shows

Ashley R. Williams, USA TODAY
·3 min read
FILE - Police investigate the scene where two police officers were killed the night before in Bristol, Conn., Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. A segment of footage from a police body camera worn by Officer Alec Iurato was released Sunday, Oct. 16, as part of a preliminary report by the state's Office of the Inspector General in connection with the shooting (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

A wounded Connecticut police officer limped to a car after he and two of his colleagues were ambushed by a gunman before firing a single fatal shot at the assailant, Connecticut's Office of the Inspector General said in a statement.

The office also released body camera footage from the attack, which left Officer Alex Hamzy and Sgt. Dustin DeMonte dead from multiple gunshot wounds. The video came from body camera Officer Alec Iurato, who was shot in the leg.

The officers responded to a possible domestic violence incident between brothers Wednesday night, according to Connecticut State Police. Nicholas Brutcher, 35, is believed to have made the call to deliberately lure police to the scene, according to a preliminary investigation.

The officers approached the house's side door to speak with Nathan Brutcher, Nicholas Brutcher's 32-year-old brother, according to the Office of the Inspector General. As they instructed him to show his hands and step outside, Nicholas Brutcher shot more than 80 rounds at the officers from behind, authorities said.

CONNECTICUT POLICE: 2 Bristol officers killed may have been lured into deadly ambush

Iurato’s body camera footage showed the wounded officer facing the front of a house before he appeared to crouch in the dark near a bush. Iurato turned toward the street where his cruiser was parked.

“Shots fired! Shots fired! More cars, send everyone,” Iurato is heard panting into his police radio. An unknown person’s screams echo into the night air shortly afterward, as heard in the two-minute footage.

After a brief pause from Iurato, his radio beeps as the officer says “Officers shot, officers shot” in a calmer tone while still breathing heavily. Iurato receives radio confirmation that his message was heard, according to the video.

Hamzy died at the scene and DeMonte was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to a statement from Connecticut State Police.

This combo of images provided by the Connecticut State Police, show, from left, Bristol, Conn. Police Department Sgt. Dustin Demonte, Officer Alex Hamzy and Officer Alec Iurato. Authorities said Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, they believe that police officers Demonte and Hamzy, who were shot dead in Connecticut, had been drawn into an ambush by a 911 call about possible domestic violence. A third officer, Alec Iurato, was wounded but expected to recover.

Iurato killed the shooter with a single shot, according to the Office of the Inspector General. Body camera footage showed the officer firing once at the gunman after limping toward his police cruiser. Iurato, 26, was released Thursday from the hospital, authorities said.

Brutcher died from a gunshot wound to the neck with spinal cord injuries, authorities said. His brother was also wounded.

At least 20 gunshots rang out from an unknown source as the injured officer reached the driver’s side of the cruiser parked in front of the other, according to the footage.

Connecticut State Police Col. Stavros Mellekas called the incident "shattering for the Bristol Police" in a statement offering condolences to the Bristol Police Department.

"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," the inspector general's office said in a statement.

Funeral services for Hamzy and DeMonte were scheduled for Friday in Hartford, Connecticut, according to the Bristol Police Department. DeMonte, 35, was a 10-year veteran of the police department, andHamzy was with the police department for eight years.

Bristol Police officers console one another at the scene where two police officers killed, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Bristol, Conn. The officers were fatally shot and a third wounded while responding to a domestic violence call in Connecticut, authorities said Thursday, amid an exceptionally violent week for officers across the country.
Bristol Police officers console one another at the scene where two police officers killed, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Bristol, Conn. The officers were fatally shot and a third wounded while responding to a domestic violence call in Connecticut, authorities said Thursday, amid an exceptionally violent week for officers across the country.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bristol shooting: Police officer shot ambush suspect, bodycam shows