Video Shows East Hartford Police Shooting At Fleeing Suspect

EAST HARTFORD, CT — State investigators Wednesday afternoon released harrowing footage of an officer-involved shooting in East Hartford in which two policemen were taken to the hospital.

The Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad, the East Hartford Police Department, and the Hartford Judicial District's State’s Attorney’s Office are investigating the shooting, which took place on Governor Street Sunday.

In announcing the investigation Wednesday, the state Office of the Inspector General also released more details into what happened.

Those details paint an intense picture of a fleeing suspect who knocked down two people standing outside the vehicle (one holding children) and East Hartford police opening up fire on the car.

And, according to state officials, it was a situation that escalated over a person's dispute with a towing company over missing items in a vehicle.

On May 19 at about 3:29 p.m., East Hartford police officers were dispatched to Governor’s Auto Body & Repair, 200 Governor St., East Hartford.

Officers were probing a report a male had displayed a firearm at one of the tow operators during a dispute on whether items were missing from a vehicle towed the day before, wrote authorities.

The state said the first arriving EHPD officer, Brian Altamirano, observed a white Infinity in the parking lot.

A male was in the driver’s seat and a second male and female were standing next to the passenger side of the Infinity, reads a preliminary report.

A second East Hartford police cruiser, operated by Officer Daniel Guilfuchi, arrived at the body shop and stopped near the Infinity, authorities wrote.

That's when Altamirano exited his cruiser and asked if anyone had any firearms.

To escape, the Infinity drove forward crashing into Guilfuchi’s cruiser.

According to the report, the white Infinity then reversed, quickly moving backward knocking the two people on the passenger side to the ground, with one of them holding children.

While Guilfuchi was in the process of exiting his cruiser, the Infinity drove forward again colliding with the front of his cruiser, authorities wrote.

The state said Guilfuchi discharged his duty weapon approximately six times at the Infinity and Altamirano also discharged his duty weapon at the Infinity.

The Infinity, operated by an unidentified suspect, fled westbound on Interstate 84.

Officials said it was ultimately located abandoned at 14 Tredeau St., Hartford, and it was determined the vehicle had been stolen.

No suspect has been charged yet and the investigation is ongoing.

The EHPD reported that the two officers were treated for minor injuries during the incident. No information was released on what happened to the two people knocked down in the footage.

From May 20: 'Officers Hurt In Shooting Sunday Afternoon: East Hartford PD'