For Immediate Release:  Thursday, October 30, 2003.
Contact: Nancy M. Mulroy, PIO, Hartford Police Department, and (860) 543-8746.

(Hartford) - October 29, 2003, at 12:06 p.m., at 55 Babcock Street, Hartford, HPD Officers Gauvin and Condon observed a suspicious person. When the Officers approached he fled. The Officers gave chase and Officer Gauvin was able to head off the suspect. The suspect then pulled out a revolver and pointed it at the Officer. After several commands from the Officers the suspect threw the weapon aside, but then attempted to run at Officer Gauvin. He was quickly stopped and taken into custody. The suspect was found to be in possession of 33 bags of marijuana. The handgun involved in the incident was recovered and found to be a fully loaded Colt .38 Special Revolver.

Arrested and charged with Attempted Assault on Police, Attempted Assault in the First Degree, Possession With Intent to Sell a Controlled Substance, and various firearms chares was Jose Lopez, 11/16/86 of 90 Chadwick Avenue, Hartford.

In commenting on the incident Captain Mark Pawlina, Commander of the HPD’s South District, stated, “This incident shows that the proactive policing of our Officers on the street has definitely paid off. In this specific case, a loaded gun was taken off the street, drugs seized, and an individual arrested. Over the past few weeks Officers of the South District have been extra vigilant at hot spot locations in an effort to keep the level of violence to a minimum. The final result is that our streets are a little bit safer our residents.”

In a separate incident on Tuesday, October 29, 2003, at 10:20 p.m., Hartford Police, as reported by Sergeant John Schmaltz, were conducting a traffic enforcement detail when they observed a van pull along aside another vehicle stopped at a traffic light at 1250 Park Street. The occupants exited the van wearing facemasks and hooded sweatshirts and began to shoot up the other vehicle with paint ball guns. Police apprehended all occupants of the van. Five (5) paint ball guns were seized. The victim vehicle left the scene prior to police contact.

Arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct were Manual Martinez, 2/22/80, Luis Garcia, 7-8/81, Jose Caron, 11-21-83, Leonard White, 1-25-80, and Carlos Garcia, 12-12-77, all of Hartford.

End.