Two Connecticut police officers were wounded and a suspect was fatally shot after an attempted arrest escalated into a vehicle pursuit and gunfire near Hartford late Friday night, officials said.
Hartford police said officers were looking into suspected illegal activity around 11:07 p.m. when a male suspect fled from the area.
One officer pursued the man and tried to arrest him. During the ensuing struggle, the officer believed he felt a firearm tucked in the suspect’s waistband, according to the Hartford Police Department.
The suspect then managed to reach a vehicle and drive off, leading officers on a chase through the city as details about the car were relayed to nearby law enforcement agencies.
Hartford, Conn., police were investigating suspected illegal activity Friday night when an attempted arrest turned into a pursuit that ended in Newington. (Brad Horrigan/Hartford Courant via AP, File)
The pursuit later continued onto Webster Court in Newington, located south of Hartford near the Rocky Hill town line.
Authorities said the suspect exited the vehicle, and gunfire was exchanged. Two officers were injured in the shooting, and the suspect was killed.
The injured officers were identified as Hartford Police Officer Alex Diaz and Rocky Hill Police Officer Jon Escobar.
Both officers were taken to a hospital following the shooting and were later released, according to local authorities.
The shooting prompted a multi-agency investigation after a pursuit that began in Hartford crossed into neighboring Newington. (WTIC)
Hartford police said Diaz was released from the hospital Saturday and was recovering at home.
A gun was recovered at the scene, police said.
Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect or provided additional details about the activity Hartford officers were investigating before the attempted arrest.
The circumstances surrounding the exchange of gunfire, including which officers fired their weapons, remain under investigation.
An aerial view of Hartford, Connecticut. Police said officers were investigating suspected illegal activity in the city before a pursuit ended in gunfire in Newington. (Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The Connecticut Office of Inspector General is investigating the use of deadly force.
Hartford police referred News Outlet’s questions about the investigation to the Office of Inspector General.
The Office of Inspector General did not immediately respond to News Outlet’s request for comment.
The investigation remains ongoing.
