October 4, 2004 |
2004-R-0791 | |
USE OF GUN SEIZURE WARRANTS | ||
| ||
By: Veronica Rose, Principal Analyst | ||
You asked for general information on the 1999 gun seizure law, including the number of departments that sought warrants to seize guns, the number they sought and received, the source of the complaints triggering applications, and the number of guns seized. This report covers the period October 1, 1999 through September 30, 2004.
SUMMARY
Since 1999, at least 41 local police departments and the State Police have applied for gun seizure warrants to seize guns from people considered at risk of harming themselves or others. They applied for at least 112 warrants—13 in 1999; 21 in 2000, 2001, and 2002; 16 in 2003; and 20 in 2004.
The police received all but two of the warrants they requested and seized guns in all but nine of the cases. In all, they seized more than 1,000 guns, plus ammunition and accessories. The State Police and West Hartford Police Department applied for the most warrants, almost 27% of the total.
The data show (1) a relative as the most likely source of complaints underlying a warrant application; (2) murder and suicide threats as the most likely behaviors to trigger an application; and (3) a wife or girlfriend as the person most likely to be the target of a threat. In 105 of the 112 cases, the target of the warrant was a male.
This report discusses (1) the departments that applied for warrants, (2) the number of warrants they requested and received, (3) the target of the warrants, (4) the allegations underlying applications and the people who made them, (4) the number of guns seized, and (5) case outcomes.
Attachment 1 summarizes the data.
GUN SEIZURE LAW
The gun seizure law took effect on October 1, 1999. It (1) allows police, under limited circumstances and following specified procedures, to get warrants and seize guns from anyone posing an imminent risk of harming himself or someone else and (2) requires a judge to hold a hearing within 14 days after the seizure to decide whether to return the guns or order them held for up to one year (CGS § 29-38c).
Police can seek the warrant only after (1) conducting an independent investigation to establish probable cause and (2) determining that no reasonable alternative exists to avert the risk of harm. The law does not define "independent investigation" or outline "reasonable alternatives. " But the floor debate on the bill that became law suggests that legislators believed that (1) as part of the investigation, police should talk to witnesses and corroborate allegations made against defendants and (2) civil commitment and arrest were reasonable alternatives to a search warrant. And a Superior Court ruling that reversed a seizure under this law identified consensual search as the most obvious alternative to seizure (State of Connecticut vs. David Avery, CV11-9168A, GA 11, 12/12/1999).
DATA COLLECTION
The report is based on a written OLR survey of all local police departments and the State Police conducted in 2000 and search warrants submitted to the Judicial Department by court clerks. There is no way to tell for sure how complete the information is. The law does not require gun seizure reports, and departments apparently do not compile gun seizure data in any readily retrievable format. Typically, they appear to maintain the data as part of larger files based on the nature of the case that triggered the warrant application, such as domestic dispute or disturbance, traffic incident, attempted murder, or assault, rather than in separate, individually retrievable files. Hence, some departments not included in this report (including Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, and Waterford) may have used the law and not reported, and departments included in the report may not have provided complete data.
WARRANT APPLICATIONS
Table 1 shows that, as of September 30, 2004, at least 41 local police departments and the State Police had applied for a total of 112 gun seizure warrants under CGS § 29-38c. The number of applications ranged from one to 19. Just over half of the departments (23) applied for one warrant. The State Police applied for the most warrants (19) followed by West Hartford (11). Together they requested 27% of all applications.
Table 1: Warrant Applications — 1999 through September 30, 2004 (N=112)
Department |
No. of Applications |
Department |
No. of Applications |
State Police |
19 |
Bloomfield |
1 |
West Hartford |
11 |
Cheshire |
1 |
New Britain |
6 |
Danbury |
1 |
Farmington |
5 |
Darien |
1 |
Southington |
5 |
East Haven |
1 |
Bristol |
5 |
Fairfield |
1 |
Enfield |
4 |
Glastonbury |
1 |
Milford |
4 |
Greenwich |
1 |
Monroe |
4 |
Middlebury |
1 |
Newington |
4 |
New Canaan |
1 |
Meriden |
3 |
North Branford |
1 |
North Haven |
3 |
Norwich |
1 |
Rocky Hill |
3 |
Old Saybrook |
1 |
Seymour |
3 |
Plainville |
1 |
Hamden |
2 |
Plymouth |
1 |
Manchester |
2 |
Simsbury |
1 |
Torrington |
2 |
Stamford |
1 |
Vernon |
2 |
Trumbull |
1 |
West Haven |
2 |
UConn |
1 |
Avon |
1 |
Windsor |
1 |
Berlin |
1 |
Wolcott |
1 |
* Number of Police Departments = 42
RESULT OF APPLICATIONS
The courts granted all but two of the 112 warrant requests. They denied (1) one Wolcott Police Department warrant for lack of probable cause and (2) one West Hartford Police Department warrant on the grounds that a search under a previous warrant involving the same
subject had yielded all the guns to which the subject had access. (The intended target of a Seymour Police Department warrant surrendered his guns voluntarily before the warrant was executed. )
NATURE OF ALLEGATIONS
In 77 of the cases, warrant applications were based on a murder or suicide allegation, or both. Suicide threats accounted for 44 (39%) applications, murder for 22 (20%), and murder suicide for 11 (10%) (see Figure 1). Other factors that triggered an application included violent threats or behavior, mentally unstable behavior, and domestic abuse.
SOURCE OF ALLEGATIONS
A relative was the most likely person to initiate a complaint triggering a warrant application. A relative made the complaint in 30 (27%) of the cases. Police officers were the next most likely source of a complaint. Other sources in descending order were clinicians, neighbors, employers, school officials, and friends (see Figure 2). In one case, the subject of the warrant called police himself after he allegedly attempted suicide by stabbing himself in the abdomen.
TARGET OF THREATS
The potential targets of the threats underlying the warrant applications included relatives, friends, neighbors, school officials, and coworkers. The person most frequently targeted was a relative, usually a wife or ex-wife. There were also several nonspecific threats.
SEARCH OUTCOME
Police seized guns in 100 (90%) of the 110 cases in which they got warrants. In nine cases, they found no guns, including one in which they found only a flare launcher, and in one case, the subject of the warrant surrendered his guns voluntarily before police served the warrant. In all, police seized more than 1,000 guns. The State Police seized the most, more than 400, including 231 in one case.
GUN HEARING OUTCOME
The law requires the court to hold hearings to determine the disposition of guns seized pursuant to the gun seizure law. Of the 100 cases in which the police seized guns, we were able to get definitive information on disposition in 77 cases. Table 3 shows that the court
upheld the vast majority of the seizures, ordering the police to hold the guns in 42 cases and ordering that the guns be destroyed or transferred to a third party in 13 cases.
The court ordered the police to return the guns in 13 cases. In one of the earliest State Police cases, the court pointed out that the police had not exhausted the law’s reasonable alternative standards. In another case, the court ordered the Rocky Hill Police Department to return the guns on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
Table 3: Results of Mandatory Gun Hearings (N=100)
Hold guns |
42 |
Return guns |
13 |
Transfer guns to dealer, attorney, or relative |
13 |
Destroy guns |
5 |
Information unavailable, unclear |
24 |
Victim withdrew allegations—no hearing |
1 |
Subjects died before hearing, guns turned over to estate |
2 |
Attachment 1: Warrant Applications Under Gun Seizure Law
Police Department |
No. of Applicat- ions |
Subject of Complaint or Warrant (Defendant) |
Person Initiating Complaint (Complainant) |
Allegations Against Subject or Basis for Warrant Application |
Potential Target/Person Threatened or at Risk of Harm |
Subject’s Previous Criminal or Psychiatric History |
Was Warrant Issued? |
Were Guns Seized? |
Outcome/Latest Available Information |
Avon |
1 |
Walter M. (m) |
Friend |
Suicide threats (possible depression) |
Self |
Criminal or psychiatric history not known |
Yes |
6, plus ammunition (December 15, 2002) |
Subject’s mother, who apparently owned the guns, asked department to hold them for one year; guns returned on October 29, 2003—case closed |
Berlin |
1 |
Michael F. (m) |
Landlord |
Murder and suicide threats (illegally possessed guns without permit) |
Self and unspecified people |
Arrests for motor vehicle and weapon violations; psychiatric history not known |
Yes |
18, plus ammunition and other weapons (March 11 and 12, 2004) |
Court ordered guns held until March 2005. |
Bloomfield |
1 |
Beatrice H. (f) |
Doctor |
Mental instability (believed people were coming through her walls to harm her and her dogs) |
Nonspecific |
No known criminal history; history of paranoia |
Yes |
1 (March 22, 2004) |
Court ordered department to destroy gun; gun destroyed—case closed |
Bristol |
5 |
Case 1—Daniel W. (m) |
Estranged wife |
Suicide threat |
Self |
History of depression; criminal record not known |
Yes |
4, plus ammunition and accessories (January 8, 2004) |
Hearing scheduled for January 22, 2004; no other information available (August 8, 2004) |
Case 2—James S. (m) |
Police Investigation |
Suicide attempt (police had to use taser to subdue suspect who tried to kill himself) |
Self |
Unknown |
Yes |
4, plus ammunition (March 19, 2004) |
Hearing scheduled for April 7, 2004; no further information available (August 8, 2004) | ||
Case 3—Stanley S. (m) |
Wife |
Suicide threat (depressed about his employment status) |
Self |
Unknown |
Yes |
7, plus ammunition (May 7, 2004) |
Hearing scheduled for May 19, 2004; no further information available (August 8, 2004) | ||
Case 4—Michael L. (m) |
Father |
Suicide and murder threat |
Self and neighbor |
Institutionalized for depression and suicide attempts; arrest record unknown |
Yes |
1 (April 18, 2004) |
Hearing scheduled for May 20, 2004; no further information available (August 8, 2004) | ||
Case 5—Henry P. (m) |
Wife |
Wife and other family members |
Yes |
1, plus ammunition (August 20, 2004) |
Hearing scheduled for September 1, 2004) | ||||
Cheshire |
1 |
Jeffrey F. (m) |
Wife |
Suicide threat involving gun (upset about pending divorce; believed to be clinically depressed) |
Self |
Treatment for clinical depression |
Yes |
4, plus ammunition (June 30, 2003) |
Court ordered guns held until December 31, 2003 when they were returned—case closed |
Danbury |
1 |
Phillip L. (m) |
Unclear |
Murder threat (claimed law enforcement officers and others were trying to kill him; had access to guns and alleged history of drug and alcohol abuse and suicide threats) |
Police |
Unknown psychiatric and criminal history |
Yes |
8, plus ammunition and other weapons (May 2, 2000) |
Court ordered guns held for one year on May 3, 2000; as of May 28, 2004, subject had not claimed them |
Darien |
1 |
Richard V. (m) |
Employer |
Suicide and murder threat (faced arrest and job termination because of illegal workplace activities; police records showed that subject owned guns) |
Self and terminally ill wife |
Criminal and psychiatric record unknown |
Yes (Nov. 8, 1999) |
None found |
No hearing required—case closed |
East Haven |
1 |
Alfred G. (m) |
Wife |
Failed to surrender guns as required of person subject to protective order; repeatedly violated protective order issued because of his threats to murder wife |
Wife |
Unknown |
Yes |
1 (July 18, 2001) |
Hearing scheduled for July 30, 2001; no information available on initial court order; December 24, 2002, court ordered guns transferred to State Police for destruction—case closed |
Enfield |
4 |
Case 1—Frank V. (m) |
Unclear |
Murder threat and veiled suicide threats |
Self and others |
Unknown |
Yes |
11 (October 29, 2001) |
Hearing scheduled for November 8, 2001—no information available on court order; as of April 30, 2004, department still had guns |
|
|
Case 2—Peter V. (m) |
Unclear |
Suicidal behavior |
Self |
Unknown |
Yes |
20, plus ammunition (October 27, 2000) |
Court ordered guns held for one year; guns returned—case closed |
|
|
Case 3—Paul S. (m) |
Ex-wife |
Suicide threat |
Self |
Arrest record for assault and breach of peace; Unknown psychiatric history |
Yes |
1, plus other weapons (June 25, 2000) |
Court ordered gun held for one year; as of December 1, 2000, department still had the gun; gun sent to State Police for destruction on September 24, 2003—case closed |
Case 4—Joseph R. (m) |
Ex-girlfriend |
Suicidal threat and behavior |
Self |
Unknown psychiatric and criminal record |
Yes |
2 (March 14, 2003) |
Court ordered gun held for one year until March 25, 2004; no further information available (August 8, 2004) | ||
Fairfield |
1 |
William M. (m) |
Son |
Suicide threats (was target of FBI child pornography probe and raid; swallowed pills, armed self, led police in pursuit and refused to relinquish gun; police aware of subject's access to guns) |
Self |
Unknown criminal or psychiatric history |
Yes |
8, plus ammunition and accessories (April 25, 2000) |
Hearing scheduled for May 8, 2000; apparently the case was continued and the subject died before a hearing was held; department turned guns over to gun dealer on estate’s behalf—case closed |
Farmington |
5 |
Case 1—Bernard K. (m) |
Sister |
Murder threat (made during domestic dispute; police heard subject threaten to break her sister’s neck; after police seized guns and hospitalized subject, sister expressed fear of repercussions) |
Sister and other family members |
Unknown criminal or psychiatric record |
Yes |
39, plus ammunition and accessories (October 19, 1999) |
Hearing postponed with parties stipulating it was no longer necessary because parties agreed to have guns transferred to gun dealer for resale on consignment on June 15, 2000—case closed |
|
|
Case 2—Marc F. (m) |
Unclear |
Violent threat (barricaded self in residence where police observed him with what appeared to be a gun and heard gun slide action) |
School officials and neighbor |
Criminal record and history of severe alcoholism |
Yes |
No guns; Ammunition only (June 10, 2001) |
Subject agreed that ammunition be turned over for destruction—case closed |
Case 3—Robert J. (m) |
Neighbors |
Reckless gun use; fired guns recklessly on his property in residential area |
Not applicable |
Unknown |
Yes |
5, plus ammunition and accessories (November 17, 2001) |
Court ordered guns destroyed—case closed | ||
Case 4—David D. (m) |
Police investigation |
Threatened suicide |
Self |
Unknown |
Yes |
2, plus ammunition and accessories (November 28, 2001) |
Court ordered guns turned over to attorney; guns turned over—case closed | ||
Case 5—Barry W. (m) |
Acquaintance |
Murder threats |
Acquaintance |
Unknown |
Yes |
1 (December 21, 2003) |
Hearing scheduled for January 5, 2004; no further information available (August 8, 2004) | ||
Glastonbury |
1 |
Michael B. (m) |
Mother |
Suicidal behavior—brandished knife at police officers who responded to 911 call and told them they would have to kill him (mother expressed concern about subject's mental state; subject had history of verbal and physical altercations with family members; claimed to have guns and described possible ambush scenarios of police officers; police records showed he had guns) |
Self |
Unknown psychiatric and criminal record |
Yes |
4 (December 27, 2000) |
Court ordered police to return; guns returned—case closed |
Greenwich |
1 |
Thomas B. (m) |
Neighbor |
During conversation with neighbor to resolve dispute with neighbor’s mother-in-law, subject held a handgun at his side and repeatedly expressed his right to protect his property (police records showed (1) past episode when subject allegedly walked around his property carrying rifle; (2) subject did not have gun permit; and (3) active arrest warrant for DUI) |
Neighbor |
Arrest warrant for DUI; Unknown psychiatric record |
Yes |
11, plus ammunition and accessories (October 28, 1999) |
Initial court order unclear, but on October 16, 2001, the court ordered the weapons destroyed; on January 3, 2002, the department turned them over to the State Police for destruction—case closed |
Hamden |
2 |
Case 1—Dean R. (m) |
Information unavailable |
Information unavailable |
Information not available |
Unknown |
Yes |
1 (February 21, 2001) |
Court ordered guns held for one year on March 23, 2001; gun returned September 5 2002—case closed |
Case 2—Robert K (m) |
Wife |
Attempted suicide (pending divorce; subject of restraining order) |
Self |
Bipolar and depression |
Yes |
2 (January 1, 2002) |
Court ordered guns held for one year; guns destroyed February 19, 2004 pursuant to court order—case closed | ||
Manchester |
2 |
Case 1—Michael G. (m) |
Wife |
Murder threat (psychiatrist described subject's escalating abuse of prescription drugs and advised police that he was in imminent danger of harming himself or someone else; had access to guns) |
Wife |
Drug dependency |
Yes |
6, plus ammunition and other weapons (March 8, 2000) |
Court ordered guns held for 120 days; department returned them on September 18, 2000—case closed |
Case 2—Bruce B. (m) |
Wife |
Suicide threat (reportedly made suicide videotape and had access to guns) |
Self |
Unknown psychiatric history; no arrest history |
Yes |
1 (November 12, 2003) |
Gun returned on March 11, 2004—case closed | ||
Meriden |
3 |
Case 1—Joseph K. (m) |
Wife |
Physically abused and emotionally intimidated wife—told her, while holding telescopic scope for rifle, "one shot, one kill, never miss your target" (after wife stopped sleeping with subject, he placed pistol and holster at place where she used to sleep; barricaded windows and family room to protect his guns; wife reported large arsenal of weapons) |
Wife |
No criminal record; Psychiatric history unknown |
Yes |
37, plus ammunition and accessories and other weapons (April 11, 2001) |
Court ordered guns held for one year; no further information available (August 2, 2004) |
|
|
Case 2—Kevin B. (m) |
Behavioral health caseworker |
Murder threat |
Neighbor |
Convicted felon with extensive history of violent crimes; was under treatment for a psychiatric disability |
Yes (Dec. 22, 1999) |
No guns found |
No hearing required—case closed |
Case 3—Shaun F. (m) |
Unknown |
Murder threat |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Yes (July 26, 2004) |
4, plus accessories (July 27, 2004) |
Information unavailable | ||
Middlebury |
Frances . P |
Medical call |
Mentally unstable behavior |
Self |
History of suicidal behavior and depression; criminal history not known |
Yes |
48 (July 9, 2004) |
Court ordered guns held until July 20, 2005 | |
Milford |
4 |
Case 1—Sealed juvenile case (m) |
School official |
Suicide and murder threat; (claimed access to guns and outlined possible methods of committing the acts; history of suicide threats and self mutilation; access to guns) |
Self and students |
History of suicide threats and self mutilation |
Yes |
6, plus ammunition and other weapons (March 20, 2001) |
Guns held for one year and returned July 2002—case closed |
|
|
Case 2— Sealed juvenile case (m) |
School official and parent of threatened child |
Murder threat |
Student |
Unknown |
Yes |
19, plus ammunition and accessories, other weapons, and miscellaneous items (March 23, 2001) |
Court ordered some property returned and some destroyed in March 2002—case closed |
|
|
Case 3—James S. (m) |
Wife |
Violent threat (harassed neighbors and threatened to pay them back for allegedly trying to run him over with their car; Wife told police that she feared for her safety and that of her neighbors because husband started to carry gun while making threats) |
Wife and neighbors |
Unknown |
Yes |
13, plus ammunition and accessories (August 20, 2001) |
Court ordered guns sold; guns sold—case closed |
Case 4—Alan G. (m) |
Neighbor |
Violent threat (threatened neighbor’s child for reporting inappropriate sexual contact by subject’s child) |
Neighbor |
Unknown |
Yes |
1, plus ammunition and other weapons (September 29, 2003) |
Hearing scheduled for October 7, 2003; information on court order unavailable but department holding guns (May 27, 2004) | ||
Monroe |
4 |
Case 1 —Anthony T. (m) |
Wife |
Murder and suicide threat (history of physically abusing wife) |
Self and wife |
Manic depressive; criminal record unknown |
Yes |
5, plus ammunition and other weapons (September 8, 2000) |
Hearing on September 22, 2000; case continued until October 18, 2000 and again until February 14, 2001; August 8, 2002, court granted respondent’s motion to return guns—case closed. |
|
|
Case 2—Stephen S. (m) |
Victim advocate |
Subject, as condition of release for an assault crime, was not allowed to possess guns; mother and sister alleged that he had guns (subject allegedly threatened mother and sister and put unloaded gun to his head in the past) |
Not applicable |
Diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic; Previous arrest for assault, threatening, and breach of peace |
Yes (Nov. 18, 1999) |
No guns found |
No hearing required—case closed |
Case 3—Debra W. (f) |
Unclear |
Implied suicide threats |
Self |
Psychiatric treatment; Unknown criminal history |
Yes |
5, plus ammunition and accessories (November 6, 2002) |
Court apparently ordered the guns held for one year; on November 20, 2003, department released the guns to gun store for sale pursuant to court order—case closed | ||
Case 4—Richard L. (m) |
Adult probation officer |
Violent threat |
Adult probation officer |
Post traumatic syndrome and alcohol abuse; DUI arrests |
Yes |
29, plus accessories and ammunition (April 2, 2004) |
Court granted motion to return guns; guns returned—case closed | ||
New Britain |
6 |
Case 1—John S. (m) |
Wife |
Suicide threats (allegedly depressed and despondent because of injury that prevented him from working; refused to cooperate with police officers who responded to wife's allegations) |
Self |
Unknown |
Yes |
2, plus ammunition (February 20, 2001) |
Court ordered guns turned over to subject's son; guns turned over—case closed |
|
|
Case 2—Stanley M. (m) |
Unknown (record incomplete) |
Unknown (record incomplete) |
Unknown |
Unknown criminal and psychiatric record |
Yes |
8, plus ammunition (May 31, 2000) |
Court ordered guns transferred to gun dealer on July 24, 2000—case closed |
|
|
Case 3—Mark Z. (m) |
Self |
Suicide attempt (responding officer found a knife embedded in subject’s abdomen) |
Self |
Unknown |
Yes |
2, plus ammunition (August 14, 2001) |
Court ordered guns held for one year; guns returned on October 2, 2002—case closed |
|
|
Case 4—K. T. (m) |
Wife |
Took gun to workplace and threatened to kill himself because he was apparently distressed that his wife wanted a divorce; history of suicidal threats |
Self |
Unknown psychiatric or criminal record |
Yes |
1 (October 13, 2000) |
Court ordered gun held for one year; On May 27, 2004, department asked defendant to allow it to destroy the gun because he showed no interest in retrieving it—case closed |
Case 5—Louise R. (f) |
Self |
Violent threat (in irrational calls to police department and veiled threats to kill anyone who invaded her space (allegedly suffered from paranoia) |
Non-specific |
Unknown |
Yes |
2, plus ammunition (December 31, 2003) |
Court ordered guns held until January 9, 2005 | ||
Case 6—Michael R. (m) |
Medic |
Suicide threats |
Self |
Unknown criminal or psychiatric history |
Yes |
4 (June 16, 2004) |
Court ordered guns held until July 7, 2005 | ||
New Canaan |
1 |
Shawn M. (m) |
Ex-girlfriend |
Murder threats (former police officer with domestic violence history and ready access to firearms) |
Ex girlfriend and family |
Unknown |
Yes |
2, plus ammunition and accessories (October 15, 2003) |
Department has no information on court order but has been holding the guns since 2003 (August 2, 2004) |
Newington |
4 |
Case 1—Robert S. (m) |
Health care benefits provider |
Suicide threats (history of emotional instability and threats to kill self and girlfriend) |
Self |
Being treated for bipolar disorder and manic depression; history of emotional instability; criminal record unknown |
Yes |
1, plus ammunition and accessories (November 9, 1999) |
Court ordered gun held for one year; court transferred gun to Department of Environmental Protection (apparently for training purposes); on April 27, 2004—case closed |
|
|
Case 2—Robert B. (m) |
Brother |
Suicidal and threatening behavior (locked self in room with rifle after dispute with sibling and refused to respond to family; history of illegal drug use and altercations with sister) |
Self |
Unknown criminal and psychiatric history |
Yes |
5, plus ammunition (November 13, 2000) |
Court ordered guns transferred to qualified relative—case closed |
|
|
Case 3—Lee T. (m) |
Friend |
Suicide threats (previously hospitalized for suicide threat) |
Self |
Hospitalization for suicidal behavior; unknown criminal history |
Yes June 27, 2001) |
2 |
Case was continued from July 9 to July 16 to July 20, 2001 to accommodate a written transfer agreement. Intermediate steps unclear, but guns were released on October 9, 2001 pursuant to court order—case closed |
Case 4—Charles B. (m) |
Postal employee |
Murder threat |
Postal official |
Unknown criminal and psychiatric record |
Yes |
1 (March 25, 2004) |
Court ordered guns held for one year; amended order to have guns transferred to conservator; guns transferred—case closed | ||
North Branford |
1 |
Richard M. (m) |
Police investigation |
Murder and suicide threats (subject was depressed because of likely job loss, previously suspended for striking coworker, and was drinking heavily and having temper tantrums; police investigation revealed subject possessed guns; psychiatrist advised police that subject was a threat to himself and others and should not possess guns) |
Self, neighbors, and coworkers |
Unknown arrest or psychiatric record |
Yes |
5, plus ammunition and accessories (November 6, 1999) |
Court ordered guns held for one year on November 17, 1999; on April 6, 2000, court ordered them released to a 3rd party, who claimed them on April 21, 2000—case closed |
North Haven |
3 |
Case 1—John D. (m) |
Employer |
Murder threat (stalked and threatened target---a town building department employee |
Coworker |
Unknown arrest or psychiatric record |
Yes |
4 (February 8, 2000) |
As part of plea deal, guns were returned to the subject in July 2000—case closed |
Case 2—Felix D. (m) |
Girlfriend |
Domestic violence involving girlfriend |
Girlfriend |
History of arrests (assault, threatening, disorderly conduct, illegal gun use, etc. |
Yes |
10, plus ammunition and accessories (December 2002) |
Hearing scheduled for December 16, 2002 | ||
Case 3—William R. (m) |
Son |
Suicidal behavior and threats involving guns (history of domestic violence and psychological problems) |
Self |
Treatment for depression and anxiety; DUI and family violence arrests |
Yes |
3 (June 3, 2003) |
Hearing scheduled for June 11, 2003 | ||
Norwich |
1 |
Richard G. (m) |
Former employer |
Murder threat (apparent reaction to job loss for disciplinary reasons) |
Nonspecific |
Arrest record for disorderly conduct and assault; unknown psychiatric record |
Yes |
2, plus ammunition and other weapon (November 12, 1999) |
Court ordered guns released to relative on November 29, 1999—case closed |
Old Saybrook |
1 |
Arthur G. (m) |
Parent |
Suicide threats (also brandished gun at individual and stated “I wouldn’t want to have to use this; ” had recorded history of brandishing guns at people) |
Self |
Unknown |
Yes |
1 (January 29, 2002) |
May 17, 2002 court ordered guns returned; guns returned—case closed |
Plainville |
1 |
Robert J. (m) |
Wife |
Murder threat (directed at wife and police officers responding to verbal abuse complaint from wife) |
Wife and police officers |
History of alcohol abuse, treatment for psychological disorder |
Yes |
28, plus ammunition and bow and arrows (October 2, 2003) |
Hearing scheduled for October 15, 2003—no further information available (August 2004) |
Plymouth |
1 |
Wayne C. (m) |
Sister |
Suicidal talk involving gun |
Self |
Unknown criminal or psychiatric record |
Yes |
2 (June 11, 2003) |
On July 1, 2003 court ordered department to return guns; defendant agreed to let department keep guns for 30 days; returned guns on August 1, 2003—case closed |
Rocky Hill |
3 |
Case 1—Raymond P. (m) |
Town official |
Murder threat (had access to guns, history of threatening behavior, and arrest record for reckless endangerment) |
Police officer |
Unknown psychiatric or criminal record |
Yes |
18 (April 14, 2000) |
Court ordered guns returned on June 15, 2000 on grounds of insufficient evidence—case closed |
|
|
Case 2—Joseph S. (m) |
Estranged wife |
Murder threat (was in midst of acrimonious divorce; had known access to guns and history of physical violence) |
Estranged wife |
History of domestic violence arrests; had previously been subject of family violence protective orders; previous stay in psychiatric facility |
Yes |
6 (November 19, 1999) |
As of October 26, 2001, case continued indefinitely; ownership of guns being litigated as part of marital asset in divorce case and an appeal is pending. As of April 26, 2004, guns still in department’s custody |