CROMWELL - Police received a call from Cromwell Walmart just before 9 a.m. Wednesday morning about a couple of individuals, appearing to be juveniles, that store personnel said had stolen items.
However, the two responding officers never imagined what they were getting themselves into.
Police issued a picture of a light colored Ford Explorer, bearing stolen CT dealer plate DD2977.
“It has a broken (left) taillight,” said Cromwell Police Chief Denise Lamontagne. “It has some decals on the back. So, we’re certainly interested in trying to locate that vehicle.”
The two teenage occupants of the SUV, shortly after allegedly stealing items from Walmart, were approached on foot by two officers, while the kids were sitting in the vehicle. The passenger had his door open. And, while the officers were asking for information, the driver started the vehicle and threw it in reverse.
“When the car backed up, it struck our officer, who was engaged in the conversation, throwing him to the ground,” said Lamontagne.
Fortunately, that officer sustained non-life threatening injuries. However, he will be out of work for awhile.
“The vehicle ended up backing up, put it in drive and rode around all the cars didn’t strike any cars while they were there,” Lamontagne said.
The driver of the SUV is said to be a black male, somewhere between the ages of 12 and 16, perhaps 5‘4“ tall, with a short haircut.
The passenger was described as a Hispanic male, perhaps between 10 and 14 years of age, with shoulder length hair.
“It doesn’t bode well for law-enforcement at all,” a reflective Lamontagne said.
Cromwell Police they say they are not going to release body cam video from the incident because the suspects are juveniles.
Anyone with information on the incident, vehicle or the suspects involved is asked to contacts the Cromwell Police's Detective Jones or Detective Pietraroia at 860-635-7855 or 860-635-7854.