Hostage-taker Kills Police Officer, Self in CT

[Guest]

Sad news indeed on this New Year's Eve. We mourn P.O. Peter Lavery, Newington Police Dept., killed in the line of duty.

Officer shot answering domestic violence call

Former state corrections officer kills officer beforeturning gun on himself after 14-hour standoff

The Associated Press

Updated: 5:20 p.m. ET Dec. 31, 2004

NEWINGTON, Conn. - A former state corrections officer shot and killed a police officer and then turned the gun on himself Friday, ending a 14-hour standoff.

The officer, Peter Lavery, had been shot Thursday night while responding to a domestic violence call. State and area police rushed to the Hartford suburb after the officer failed to respond to their calls.

For much of the afternoon, a state police tactical team was on the first floor of the home where the siege took place; the gunman and his hostage were holed up in the basement. Police used various methods to force the gunman out, including tear gas and water from a hose.

Some neighbors were evacuated overnight on school buses. The gunman’s wife escaped.

Sue Erwin, who lives nearby but was not among those evacuated, said she heard shots and booms throughout the night. She also saw other neighbors coughing as they left their homes late Thursday.

A spokesman for the Department of Correction said the suspect had been fired in 1999.

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Very sad indeed. Thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of P.O. Lavery and the Newington Police Department.