Stratford Residents Fear for Safety After Neighbor Posts Bond: Report

York Street residents are concerned for their safety after a neighbor, who once told police he was God and barricaded himself inside his house while holding his dog hostage, was released on bond, according to the Connecticut Post.

Daniel Tepfer of the Post reports that the residents sent a letter to Stratford Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour regarding the “grave concern” for their safety when Richard Watt is released.

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Watt, who had previously been arrested for firing shots from his home, called police for assistance on Sept. 1, saying that he is God and was going to “tap someone on the shoulder and tell them they are going to die,” according to the Post.

Responding officers found that Watt had barricaded himself inside the house and the department’s SWAT team was called to the scene and Watt then threatened to “eat this dog for dinner” while holding his dog in a headlock, according to the Post.

Read the full story at the Connecticut Post here.