GRAPHIC VIDEO: Bodycam video released from deadly ambush of Bristol officers
Suspect fired more than 80 rounds
WARNING: The footage may be considered graphic and disturbing. It contains violence and gunshots.
BRISTOL, CT (WFSB) - Body cam footage from one of the three Bristol officers who were ambushed last week was released over the weekend.
It was part of a preliminary report from the Office of the Inspector General that announced that 26-year-old Officer Alec Iurato was justified in the shooting of the suspect, 35-year-old Nicholas Brutcher.
The report also stated that Brutcher fired more than 80 rounds at Iurato, 35-year-old Sgt. Dustin DeMonte and 34-year-old Officer Alex Hamzy.
DeMonte and Hamzy were killed, as was Nicholas Brutcher.
The inspector general said Iurato’s bodycam showed the moments after the two officers were shot on Oct. 12.
Iurato was seriously injured in what state police called a deliberate act to lure law enforcement to an address in Bristol.
Around 10:40 p.m. that night, DeMonte, Hamzy, and Iurato responded to 310 Redstone Hill Rd. for a domestic violence 911 call that was believed to have been made by the suspect himself.
The inspector general said the officers went to the side door of the house and spoke to Nathan Brutcher, Nicholas Brutcher’s brother.
They ordered Nathan Brutcher to show his hands and step out of the house.
That’s when, according to the inspector general, gunfire erupted from behind the officers.
Nicholas Brutcher fired well over 80 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle.
Despite being shot in the leg, Iurato made his way around the house and back to a Bristol Police Department cruiser.
From there, he fired one shot that struck and killed Nicholas Brutcher.
The Office of the Inspector General concluded that Iurato’s use of deadly force was justified.
Bodycam footage from both DeMonte and Hamzy exists, but will not be released because they may constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy, according to the inspector general.
To help us understand how Officer Alec Iurato handled the horrific situation, we spoke with Lisa Dadio, a retired New Haven Police Lieutenant.
“He was shot, his adrenaline is unlike anything anyone can imagine and yet he was laser focused and resorted to his training. And he went ahead and did what he was trained to do stop the threat,” said Dadio, University of New Haven Director of Center for Advanced Policing.
Dadio said Iurato did exactly what he was trained to do.
“His breathing was controlled because you can hear it. Which means that he did what he was trained to do which is to bring everything down, to think calmly, to focus in on what you have to do to stop the threat and he did it,” said Dadio.
From a psychological perspective, experts say it’s important that Iurato has a strong support system as he begins the long road of healing from the trauma he experienced.
“Sometimes it feels very isolating when you have gone through an event that is very unique and not a lot of people are able to understand the magnitude of what happened,” said Goetti Francois, Quinnipiac University School of Nursing Professor.
Channel 3 spoke with Law Enforcement Analyst and retired Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance to get some perspective on what unfolded in Iurato’s video.
“While he’s escaping to cover, you can hear gunfire. You can hear massive gunfire,” Vance said. “He got to cover and while going, he called for help. He called for help for his down brother officers, he called for help to indicate he was wounded and he needed help. He got that message out, which was extremely important, he took cover, which was important also. He was able to take the suspect and prevent the suspect from any further aggression whatsoever.”
Vance also praised Iurato for how he handled the incident despite being injured.
“His adrenalin had to have been pumping and certainly his training kicked in,” he said. “He’s a young officer, he obviously learned from his training and he did everything textbook like he was supposed to. He did everything he could to get help for the fellow officers, to protect himself and stop the aggression. He did it all. This video clearly shows the pressure he was under and what he was able to do.”
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