Nicholas Brutcher: Man who killed 2 cops before being shot dead was Facebook friends with victim Alex Hamzy
BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT: Nicholas Brutcher, the man who shot two Bristol cops dead and wounded another after faking a 911 call, was Facebook friends with one of the victims. His list of 1,045 friends on Facebook includes late officer Alex Hamzy, who goes by the name Alex Yzmah on the social media platform. The cop even liked one of Brutcher's photos in which he is holding a rifle.
Neighbors have described Brutcher as a divorced dad of two who has been described by neighbors as "rowdy" and "always drinking". He also liked guns and is seen holding a handgun at a wedding in one of his social media posts from 2016.
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Bristol cops were responding to a 911 call about a domestic dispute at Nicholas Brutcher’s home when the murders took place. Authorities said Brutcher opened fire when they arrived, killing two cops and wounding one. During the shootout on Wednesday night, October 12, police gunned down Brutcher and wounded his brother Nathaniel. He remains hospitalized, police said. It is unclear whether Nathaniel was a bystander or a victim, or whether he too shot at the cops.
NBC Connecticut reported that Brutcher was kicked out of a bar, and had an altercation with his brother after he returned home that day. He reportedly called 911 at 10.29 pm and waited for officers to arrive with an AR-15-style gun. Bristol police have said it is a "complex investigation" and have yet to determine a motive behind the attack.
Police Sgt Dustin Demonte, 35, and Officer Alex Hamzy, 34, were killed at the scene. A third cop, Officer Alec Iurato, 26, was wounded in the attack and underwent surgery on Thursday, October 13.
“Nick was the big rowdy one,” a neighbor of his brother Nathaniel told New York Post. “He was the big funny one, a big teddy bear. He was huge. Big guy, but sweet as pie." She added, "The family must be traumatized."
Speaking about the reputation of the brothers, the neighbor said, "Nobody’s gonna like those boys, no matter what you say about them. I’m really mad at them.” The same neighbor, however, also said Nathaniel, who called her "grandma", had recently given her a jar of homemade pickles. It was one of 53 jars he said he had made. She said Brutcher and Nathaniel have two brothers and an adopted sister.
Another neighbor said Nathaniel is “a skater punk” and “a man-child” who lives in a trailer full of trash. One could see beer cans piled up on the unkempt property. The neighbor also believed Nathaniel did drugs. "Nate is high as a kite every time I see him. But cocaine doesn’t drive you to call cops and shoot them.” Brutcher, he said, would visit his brother sometimes, and that he was "always drinking".
“I don’t know much about [Nicholas], except he drinks a lot,” he said. “The dude’s always drinking. He’d be around, checking on his brother." “Their mother must be a wreck right now,” he added. “She’s also crazier than a f–king bag of chips." He added, "Their dad’s really got his s–t together. He’s got a really good heart. He’s been taking care of their mother and those boys for years. That dude’s a strong man." “After this, I don’t know,” he added.
A Bristol native and 2006 graduate of Bristol Eastern High School, Hamzy is survived by his wife, Katie, his parents and two sisters. Sgt Delmonte leaves behind his pregnant wife, Laura, and daughters Phoebe and Porter.