Woodbury Police Officer Earns Medal of Bravery Award for 2014 Incident

A reported stolen vehicle out of Southbury led to a Medal of Bravery award for Woodbury Police Officer Timothy Wright, and State Trooper First Class Tyler Spence.

The awards were handed out this week by Connecticut State Police.

State Police provided the media with details of the incident:

On, Sept. 1, 2014, at 11:15 hours, Troop L broadcast a description of a motor vehicle stolen from Southbury which eluded Waterbury Police in a pursuit. The operator was reportedly armed with a handgun and had been involved in a domestic incident in Southbury a day earlier.

Trooper Spence observed the vehicle traveling on a Woodbury road. The operator engaged Trooper Spence in pursuit, with Officer Wright joining.

They pursued through roads in Woodbury and Bethlehem before the suspect vehicle crashed at an intersection in Washington.

Trooper Spence and Officer Wright exited their cruisers with their weapons drawn and ordered the operator out of the vehicle. The operator retrieved a gun and pointed it in the direction of the officers.

Trooper Spence and Officer Wright fired their weapons and struck the operator once. He dropped his weapon and retrieved a knife, putting it to his own neck. He yelled numerous times for the officers to kill him.

During this time, the operator also attempted to evade the scene and began moving the stolen vehicle, striking Officer Wright’s cruiser.

Trooper Spence successfully deployed stop sticks, while Officer Wright deployed his Taser and struck the operator, who then complied with the officers’ commands. The operator was removed from the vehicle and first aid was rendered.

Trooper Wright and Officer Wright each earned the Medal for Bravery.