Enfield Teen Shot in Chest; Suspect Arrested After Standoff

ENFIELD, CT — A teenager was shot in the chest with a BB gun pistol, and a suspect refused to cooperate for several hours, leading to a standoff with police and forcing evacuation of some neighboring homes early Monday morning.

Police responded to the Green Valley Drive area around 3 a.m. with a report that a person had been shot. The victim had left his home and managed to call police, Chief Carl Sferrazza said.

EMS arrived and determined a BB had penetrated the victim's chest cavity. He was transported to Hartford Hospital, where the injury was determined to be non-life threatening, Sferrazza said.

The suspect in the shooting, a 17-year-old, refused to come out of his house. Police surrounded the home, but the suspect would not respond to commands or answer the phone, Sferrazza said.

Some neighboring homes were evacuated as a precaution, and the entire street was shut down, the chief said.

Around 5:35 a.m., the suspect finally emerged and was taken into custody without further incident. Due to his age, he has not been identified, Sferrazza said.

The suspect has been charged with first-degree assault with a firearm; Sferrazza said more charges are likely to be added.

At the suspect's home, police recovered a BB gun pistol, a BB gun rifle and a machete, according to Sferrazza.

The juvenile will be presented in court later Monday.

Photo credit: Tim Jensen