Bodycam shows injured Connecticut police officer shooting ambush suspect

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) – In agony from a gunshot wound from an ambush that had just happened killed two comrades, a Connecticut police officer’s body cam shows him limping behind a police cruiser and firing a single round at the suspect. Investigators say the shot was fatal.

“Gunshots, gunshots, more cars, send them all,” said a panting officer, Alec Iurato, according to a segment of body camera footage released Sunday. That’s part of a preliminary report by the state Office of the Inspector General regarding Wednesday’s shooting in the city of Bristol.

The inspector general’s office said Iurato, Sgt. Dustin DeMonte and Officer Alex Hamzy went to the home shortly before 11 p.m. in response to a 911 call. Authorities say Nicholas Brutcher, 35, made the call.

They spoke to Brutcher’s brother Nathan at the side door and told him to get out of the house. As he did so, authorities say Brutcher opened fire on the officers from behind, firing more than 80 rounds.

DeMonte and Hamzi died of more gunshots in their heads and torsos, and Iurato was wounded in the leg.

In Iurato’s body camera footage, he can be heard breathing heavily and screaming in pain as he moves around the house.

Anxious cries can be heard in the street, which at one point clearly say: “He’s dead!” It was not clear who was screaming.

As Iurato reaches the car, a hail of at least two dozen gunshots rings out.

The video shows Iurato – his face reflected in the window of the police cruiser – as he attaches his service weapon to the vehicle, takes aim and fires once. Someone shouts “He’s down,” before Iurato reports that the suspect is down.

Brucher died of a gunshot wound to the neck with spinal cord injuries, authorities said. His brother was also wounded that night.

The inspector general said that the evidence so far shows that Iurat’s shooting was justified.

Iurato, 26, a four-year member of the department, was released from the hospital Thursday.

Authorities are still investigating and have not released the circumstances that led to the 911 call or that Brutcher opened fire, although they previously said it appeared that officers were called to the scene by 911. The body camera footage of the two slain officers has not been released, and the segment from Iurato’s body camera does not show the ambush.

Demonte, 35, was a 10-year veteran. Hamzy, 34, has worked for the department for eight years. Their funerals are expected to be held in the coming week.

Bristol, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of the capital Hartford, is home to about 60,000 people and the sports network ESPN.

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