HARTFORD — -
A Hartford police officer who was shot twice early Wednesday in Hartford's North End has been released from St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center and is doing well, Chief Daryl K. Roberts said.
Officer Michael Bodner, 28, sustained gunshot wounds to his right arm and right leg during a scuffle with a man he and another officer were trying to question as part of an ongoing burglary investigation, Roberts said. The shooting occurred near Tower Avenue and Salisbury Street.
The suspect, identified as Dwayne Powell, 26, of 826 Tower Ave., ran when officers first approached him, Roberts said. The officers chased Powell and quickly caught him around 12:40 a.m. Powell became violent, fought with the officers, pulled a gun and opened fire, and then fled, Roberts said.
The second officer returned fire but did not hit Powell, Roberts said.
Officers swarmed into the area and took Powell into custody within three minutes. He faces a host of charges, including attempted murder, first-degree assault, assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a firearm and other weapons charges. He became violent when officers caught him the second time, and force was required to take him into custody, Roberts said. Powell was treated at Hartford Hospital and is now in custody, awaiting arraignment today at Superior Court in Hartford.
Bodner had surgery early Wednesday at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, and was later released. Roberts went to the hospital early Wednesday to check on the officer and meet with his parents.
"The officer is doing fine," Roberts said. "He's looking good. That's good news."
The incident remains under investigation by major crimes division detectives, but Roberts said early indications are that the officers were simply doing their jobs.
"It started out as a normal investigation," Roberts said. The officers were stopping and interviewing people out on the street during the early morning hours as part of an ongoing investigation into a rash of burglaries in the city. "They were doing what we pay them to do — police work," Roberts said.
As the officers approached the man, "the guy just took off running," Roberts said. Police recovered a gun that they believe was used in the shooting.
The incident highlights the hazards officers face each day as they go about their jobs, Roberts said. "People don't realize the danger that officers go through, how they put their lives on the line every day," he said.
A person who would shoot at a police officer is especially dangerous, and the city is safer with Powell off the streets, Roberts said.
"If you're going to shoot a law enforcement officer, that means you have no regard ... for people in the community," Roberts said.
Bodner is a 1999 graduate of Glastonbury High School and served in the Marine Corps as a military police officer. On his Facebook page, Bodner says he is working toward attaining his college degree, going for a master's degree and "working on my new career in law enforcement."
Powell does not have an extensive criminal record. He was sentenced to nine months in prison and five years of probation in 2003 for fleeing a motor vehicle accident that resulted in serious injury or death. Information about the crash was not available Wednesday because courts were closed for Veterans Day. According to court records, Powell then violated the terms of his probation and served two more years in prison.
"He didn't have a real big criminal history with us, but you never know," Roberts said. "It's unpredictable what people will do. He shot a cop."
Officer Michael Bodner, 28, sustained gunshot wounds to his right arm and right leg during a scuffle with a man he and another officer were trying to question as part of an ongoing burglary investigation, Roberts said. The shooting occurred near Tower Avenue and Salisbury Street.
The suspect, identified as Dwayne Powell, 26, of 826 Tower Ave., ran when officers first approached him, Roberts said. The officers chased Powell and quickly caught him around 12:40 a.m. Powell became violent, fought with the officers, pulled a gun and opened fire, and then fled, Roberts said.
The second officer returned fire but did not hit Powell, Roberts said.
Officers swarmed into the area and took Powell into custody within three minutes. He faces a host of charges, including attempted murder, first-degree assault, assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a firearm and other weapons charges. He became violent when officers caught him the second time, and force was required to take him into custody, Roberts said. Powell was treated at Hartford Hospital and is now in custody, awaiting arraignment today at Superior Court in Hartford.
Bodner had surgery early Wednesday at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, and was later released. Roberts went to the hospital early Wednesday to check on the officer and meet with his parents.
"The officer is doing fine," Roberts said. "He's looking good. That's good news."
The incident remains under investigation by major crimes division detectives, but Roberts said early indications are that the officers were simply doing their jobs.
"It started out as a normal investigation," Roberts said. The officers were stopping and interviewing people out on the street during the early morning hours as part of an ongoing investigation into a rash of burglaries in the city. "They were doing what we pay them to do — police work," Roberts said.
As the officers approached the man, "the guy just took off running," Roberts said. Police recovered a gun that they believe was used in the shooting.
The incident highlights the hazards officers face each day as they go about their jobs, Roberts said. "People don't realize the danger that officers go through, how they put their lives on the line every day," he said.
A person who would shoot at a police officer is especially dangerous, and the city is safer with Powell off the streets, Roberts said.
"If you're going to shoot a law enforcement officer, that means you have no regard ... for people in the community," Roberts said.
Bodner is a 1999 graduate of Glastonbury High School and served in the Marine Corps as a military police officer. On his Facebook page, Bodner says he is working toward attaining his college degree, going for a master's degree and "working on my new career in law enforcement."
Powell does not have an extensive criminal record. He was sentenced to nine months in prison and five years of probation in 2003 for fleeing a motor vehicle accident that resulted in serious injury or death. Information about the crash was not available Wednesday because courts were closed for Veterans Day. According to court records, Powell then violated the terms of his probation and served two more years in prison.
"He didn't have a real big criminal history with us, but you never know," Roberts said. "It's unpredictable what people will do. He shot a cop."
To the folks who have NO IDEA!! Police work is very dangerous,and if you have never been on a ride along or in the law enforcement..YOU HAVE NO IDEA. That waste of life who shot that Hartford officer deserves everything he has coming to him...rot in jail. People should really educate themselfs about police work..any police officer that goes out to work knows they may come into harms way...and any person who decides to harm those officers deserves nothing but to sit in jail for the rest of their lives. I support ALL police officers because i know what they go through everyday. i wish for a speedy recovery for that hartford officer and best wishs for his family.
strobe1 (11/13/2009, 8:29 AM )