ELLINGTON — State police arrested a man who they said fired nearly three dozen rounds into a speed limit sign along side of a road Saturday night.
Police said at 10:35 p.m. they were called to the area of Aborn Road and Sandy Beach Road after receiving several 911 calls from residents reporting numerous gun shots.
As police searched the area, they saw a man come out of the woods carrying a long gun. Troopers had to order him several times to drop the weapon and get on the ground. Once the suspect was in handcuffs, they found he was armed with two additional handguns and in possession of more than 25 additional rounds of .40 ammunition.
Police said the man had been drinking at a friend’s house and was walking home when he fired over 11 rounds from a 12 gauge shotgun, 17 rounds from a Smith and Wesson .40 cal, and 6 rounds from a Smith and Wesson .357 mag revolver at a speed limit sign near Minor Hill Road.
Police said Alexander Czaja, 22, of Ellington, had fired the rounds in an easterly direction, from the shoulder of the state highway. Several pieces of ammunition and shrapnel from the sign were found in the roadway.
Czaja was charged with unlawful discharge of firearms, illegal carry firearm under influence of drugs/alcohol, criminal mischief 3rd and reckless endangerment 2nd and later released on a $10,000 bond and is due to appear at Rockville Superior Court on Nov. 27.
Czaja’s Connecticut Pistol Permit was seized and the firearms were entered into evidence by police.
