HARTFORD, Conn. — A Tolland man was arrested Monday after he allegedly threatened his state representative, according to Capitol Police.
Justin Gagnon, 42, was charged with threatening in the second degree, harassment in the second degree and breach of peace in the second degree. He is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on September 21.
Gagnon is accused of sending threatening communications to State Rep. Tammy Nuccio of Tolland. The Republican is serving her first term in the General Assembly. She represents Tolland, Ashford, and Willington.
In a statement, Nuccio condemned the man's alleged actions, saying that society has become "increasingly polarized" and that rhetoric on all sides is "dangerously escalating."
"Threats of extreme violence made against anyone in our society, regardless of whether they are an elected official, cannot be tolerated and must be taken seriously," she said. "The threat directed toward me from a constituent was extremely frightening to both my family and myself. Our home lives have been irreparably impacted."
Nuccio said she hopes that people who are "becoming overly emotional" can get the help they need or find a way to vent their frustrations without "threats, words or actions of violence."
"I have never felt threatened or felt fearful in the town I have lived in for 37 years until this incident," she continued. "Politics and public service need not be overly combative, or caustic and my hope is lessons can be learned from this unfortunate matter."
The state representative went on to praise the actions taken by the Capitol Police and the Connecticut State Police.
"The matter is now in the hands of public safety officials and our criminal justice system," she added.
It was not immediately clear what was in the communications sent to Nuccio.
Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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