Bodycam shows CT officers firing at driver who hit cruiser, knocked over pair holding children

Two police officers in East Hartford shot at a driver who crashed into a police cruiser on Sunday and knocked over two people who were holding children, according to new details in a preliminary report from the Connecticut Office of Inspector General.

Inspector General Robert Devlin Jr. released the report Wednesday as well as body and dashboard camera footage from the two policemen involved, who have been identified as Officer Brian Altamirano and Officer Daniel Guilfuchi.

In his report, Devlin said officers were called to Governor’s Auto Body and Repair, located at 200 Governor St., just before 3:30 p.m. on a report that a male had displayed a firearm at one of the tow truck drivers. The incident stemmed from a dispute over items that were missing from a vehicle that was towed to the garage a day earlier.

According to Devlin, Altamirano was the first officer on the scene where he saw a white Infiniti sedan in the parking lot with a male in the driver’s seat as well as a male and a female standing next to the passenger side of the car.

Guilfuchi arrived shortly thereafter and stopped near the Infiniti.

As Altamirano got out of his cruiser and asked if anyone had any firearms, the driver of the Infiniti can be seen reversing before being boxed in by Guilfuchi’s cruiser, the footage shows. The Infiniti then drives forward and strikes the cruiser, according to Devlin’s report and the camera footage.

At this point, Altamirano has drawn his weapon.

The footage shows the male and female near the car approach the rear backseat door before the male partially enters the vehicle as police are yelling “Stop.” He appears to be holding one child and getting a second child from inside the car, though Devlin did not clarify this in his preliminary report.

In his report, Devlin only mentions that the pair are holding two children when the sedan reverses and knocks all four people to the ground. The vehicle appears to strike the auto body shop before continuing forward and striking Guilfuchi’s cruiser for a second time as Guilfuchi was getting out of the car, the footage shows.

Police yell multiple times for the driver to stop the car before opening fire as he drives away, the footage shows.

According to Devlin’s report, Guilfuchi fired about six shots. Altamirano also fired at the Infiniti, Devlin wrote.

The unidentified driver of the Infiniti fled west on Interstate 84, Devlin said.

The vehicle was later found abandoned on Tredeau Street in Hartford. Authorities later discovered that it had been stolen, according to Devlin.

Devlin did not indicate in his report whether anyone was injured during the incident.

In a statement earlier this week, Officer Marc Caruso of the East Hartford Police Department said both officers were taken to an area hospital to be evaluated.

Devlin’s office is investigating the officer-involved shooting with assistance from the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad, East Hartford police and the Hartford Judicial District State’s Attorney’s Office.

The investigation will look to determine whether the officers’ use of deadly force was justified.