HARTFORD, Conn. — Cornell Lewis teaches self-defense and leads a coalition of gun-rights activists seeking to defend a community from drug lords and deadly gun violence.
“They make the community weaker; they take our resources and wreak havoc,” said Lewis on Tuesday.
He’s calling it legal armed self-defense and it wouldn’t be the first time armed citizens walked North Hartford streets. Lewis was one of them in the ’90s.
“We’re calling on folks in the community to understand the concept of self-defense," said Lewis.
The coalition is made-up of the Self-Defense Brigade, the John Brown Gun Club, the Huey P. Newton Gun Club, and a coalition of legally armed citizens.
Mayor Luke Bronin said police are just as frustrated about deadly violence. But the Department’s focus is getting violent actors off the streets.
“I understand the frustration and I share that frustration and anger, and I feel the burden of responsibility personally and heavily, as do our police and everyone who does this work,” Bronin said. “Our first priority right now is to get the people responsible for the most recent shootings off the streets, and we are working with law enforcement partners at every level, from the FBI, AFT, and DEA to state police and regional partners.”
A spokesperson for the Police Union said Lewis’ theories could produce a great amount of risk to the community and the Department.
“We have to act as one, you can’t have people flying off the handle who want to do their own thing,” a spokesperson for the Hartford Police Union said.
Anti-gun groups said gun violence in Connecticut’s Capital City is a quality-of-life issue and more resources and quality-of-life improvements are the solution.
Jeremy Stein, Executive Director, of CT Against Gun Violence (CAGV) said, “It is fraught with risk. There are laws in place to protect the public against armed citizens creating a wild west out of Hartford.”
But Lewis said he’s not interested in anyone’s opinion who doesn’t live in the zip codes most impacted by gun violence.
“We’re not listening to the politicians, we’re not listening to the religious leaders, and we certainly aren’t listening to those people who continually want to come to rallies and cry and beg and hold hands,” he said.
Lewis says he intends to outline these efforts in a rally right here on Barbour Street on Saturday, Sept. 2. A spokesman for the police department says anyone who possesses a valid permit is entitled to their 2nd Amendment freedoms.
Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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