BRISTOL, Conn. — The shooting of a man who killed two Bristol police officers in October 2022 was justified, according to a report from the state's Office of Inspector General Wednesday.
On Oct. 12, 2022, Bristol Police Sgt. Dustin DeMonte, Ofc. Alex Hamzy and Ofc. Alec Iurato responded to a 911 call involving a dispute between two brothers, Nicholas and Nathan Brutcher. When the three officers arrived at their residence, Nicholas Brutcher ambushed and fatally shot Hamzy and DeMonte.
Iurato, who was also injured in the shooting, was able to escape before firing a single shot that killed Brutcher.
As required by Connecticut law, an investigation was opened by the Inspector General into the shooting. The report includes the findings of that investigation, including that Iurato was put into a situation of "extreme danger" with Brutcher having fired 83 rounds and showing "no signs of stopping."
"It was of paramount importance to stop that threat," according to the report, justifying Iurato's use of deadly force.
The IG's report details the 911 calls, conversations captured on police body cam footage, evidence collected and interviews conducted regarding the ambush and Iurato's use of deadly force.
Detailing the events leading up to the ambush, the report includes that around 7 p.m., Nicholas Brutcher and his brother Nathan arrived at Bleachers Bar in Bristol.
The report said that at some point, Nicholas Brutcher began arguing with another customer leading to a fight captured on the bar's surveillance video, according to investigators. Police were called to the restaurant and were told that the brothers left in a white truck.
At 8:55 p.m., an officer pulls the truck over, according to the report. It is at this traffic stop that video shows Nicholas getting aggressive with officers and making derogatory comments towards them.
The back-and-forth continued between Nicholas and police, where later, Nicholas can be heard on video saying "I really want to hurt you right now" to one of the officers.
Because both had been drinking, police towed the truck and ticketed both brothers for public disturbance.
Later that night, at 10:32 p.m., Nicholas called 911 requesting officers saying his brother Nathan is becoming violent, according to the report. Officers were dispatched minutes later to the home on Redstone Hill Road, where Hamzy and Iurato arrived on scene with DeMonte prior to the ambush.
Nicholas Brutcher had 14 firearms registered to his name, including an assault weapon and large capacity magazines that he did not have a certificate of possessions for after the state's assault weapons ban went into effect in 2014. This means Nicholas Brutcher did not legally possess those items on Oct. 12, 2022, according to the IG.
The medical examiner's report said a mix of alcohol and antidepressants were found in his system, with his blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.
While the report includes findings from the Behavioral Analysis Unit as to Nicholas Brutcher's plausible motivations behind the shooting, including "numerous stressors" in his life, "heavy substance abuse," and grievance from the traffic stop, the report suggests that his actions "may be beyond our ability to comprehend" and that it would be wrong to direct any blame away from him.
The report also noted that there is insufficient evidence and/or probable cause to charge Nicholas Brutcher's brother, Nathan, with criminal involvement in the shooting.
Warning - video is disturbing and contains offensive language:
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