EAST HAVEN - Police have made an arrest about 12 hours after they began searching for a suspect in a domestic assault.
East Haven Police got a call about a fight between two brothers around 3:30 a.m. Monday at a house on Glenmoor Drive. According to police, Edward Clement, 27, attacked his brother and tried to stab him with a hunting knife before punching, choking and kicking him in their home.
The victim, who neighbors identify as Stephen Clement, 25, fell down the stairs at one point and also ran to a neighbor's house to ask for help. Edward Clement chased the victim with a gun, at which point several neighbors heard the commotion and called 911 saying someone was running up the street.
One of the brothers was injured and was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released. The other brother ran away.
Police released a photo of the suspect, Edward Clement as they searched for him throughout the day. The hunting knife was found in the home, while a neighbor found the knife in a driveway nearby and a second neighbor found Clement's jacket in the bed of his pickup truck.
Around 3:50 p.m. John O'Brien, who lives in the neighborhood, said he was sitting in his living room when he noticed the suspect walk by. He asked his daughter to call the police and then hopped in his truck and tailed the suspect at a safe distance.
Officers responded to the area and arrested him.
Police originally said the suspect was carrying a weapon and was considered to be dangerous to the community. Asked if he was at all nervous that Edward Clement might have a weapon, O’Brien said, "You couldn't see any sort of signs of anything in his pants. Plus, I'm in the truck and I would've just floored it.”
O’Brien said Clement was just sort of lumbering along and didn't appear to be interested in any sort of confrontation.
Clement was taken into custody without incident, and he was charged with disorderly conduct, assault in the third degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, theft of a firearm, carrying a dangerous weapon, criminal possession of a firearm and criminal attempt of assault in the first degree. He is being held on a $250,000 bond and is due in court on Tuesday.
O'Brien said that when he saw Clement he had a black eye and was filthy, "like he was in mud or whatever."
A source close to the family tells Fox CT police were alerted to search area lakes, ponds and streams because Edward Clement is an avid fisherman. The source also said, because Edward Clement lived in Wallingford for many years Wallingford Police were notified to be on the lookout.
A neighbor who lives near the Clement boys' home said he was not surprised to see police flood their home. “The police were over there last year when the front door was broken in a fight,” he said. A third brother lives with Edward and Stephen.
His wife saw a softer side of the Clement boys. “They seemed nice,” said the woman. “They’ve come here to let us know they do lawns and cleaning, whatever we needed to be done. They seemed like nice kids.”
Police initiated a reverse 911 call early Monday morning to inform residents to stay in their house and report any suspicious activity.
Several other police departments, including the North Branford Police, assisted in the search.
