Connecticut police officers shot, suspect killed after attempted arrest sparks hectic chase
Two Connecticut police officers were shot, and a suspect was killed, after an attempted arrest led to a car chase and exchange of gunfire near Hartford late Friday, authorities said.
Hartford police officers were investigating what the department described as illegal activity at about 11:07 p.m., when a male suspect ran from the scene.
An officer chased the suspect and attempted to take him into custody. During a struggle, the officer felt what he believed was a gun in the suspect's waistband, according to Hartford police.
The suspect managed to get into a car and drive away, prompting officers to chase him through the city as information about the vehicle was shared with surrounding police departments.
Police officers in Hartford, Conn., were investigating suspected illegal activity Friday night, when an attempted arrest led to a chase that ended in Newington. (Brad Horrigan/Hartford Courant via AP, File)
The chase eventually reached Webster Court in Newington, a town south of Hartford near the Rocky Hill town line.
After the suspect got out of the car, there was an exchange of gunfire that left two officers wounded and the suspect dead, police said.
The wounded 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.
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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.
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Hartford police referred Fox News Digital's questions about the investigation to the Office of Inspector General.
The Office of Inspector General did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Brittany Miller is a Fox News Digital breaking news writer and former Independent reporter who graduated from Syracuse University in 2023.
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