Police are investigating a street takeover in East Haven early Sunday morning involving an alleged attack on an occupied police cruiser as a large group of individuals allegedly drove their vehicles recklessly.
Officers were dispatched to the ShopRite Plaza located at 713 Foxon Road around 2:26 a.m. on Sunday for a report of numerous vehicles blocking the roadway, performing burnouts and setting off fireworks, according to Capt. Joseph M. Murgo of the East Haven Police Department.
Murgo said the first officer to arrive at the scene was immediately confronted by several masked individuals. One of them allegedly sprayed his police cruiser with a fire extinguisher before throwing the extinguisher at the vehicle as others allegedly set off fireworks, according to Murgo.
Multiple individuals then allegedly climbed onto the police cruiser and began kicking it, Murgo said. The group’s vehicles then fled the scene and later returned to allegedly parade past officers who remained in the area, according to Murgo.
The same vehicles were allegedly observed later by North Branford and Branford Police in what police believed to be an attempt “to provoke similar encounters in those jurisdictions,” Murgo said.
Police are looking to identify suspects allegedly involved in a street takeover in East Haven early Sunday morning. (Courtesy of East Haven Police Department)
The officers involved in the incident were not injured, however the police cruiser sustained damage, according to Murgo.
“We are actively working to identify all individuals involved,” Murgo said. “Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage, seeking witnesses and processing additional evidence.
“Let me be clear, this was a targeted act of violence against a uniformed officer and a deliberate disruption of public safety,” Murgo added. “This behavior is completely unacceptable in the Town of East Haven. We will pursue every lead, every video and every witness until those responsible are identified and charged.”
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
“We will not tolerate targeted attacks on officers or reckless actions that endanger our residents and our community,” East Haven Police Chief Edward R. Lennon, Jr. said in a statement on Monday. “We will use every available resource to hold accountable every individual involved in this weekend’s incident.”
Anyone with video, photos or information about the incident is asked to contact the East Haven Police Department Detective Bureau at 203-468-3820 or Det. Monique Colbert at [email protected]. Anonymous tips can also be submitted via any of the East Haven Police Department social media platforms.