At Least 6 Officers Hurt In Explosion At Barricade Scene In Connecticut
NORTH HAVEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) — A barn behind a house in Connecticut exploded Wednesday night while police and a SWAT team were negotiating with a man who had taken his wife and family hostage, leaving at least six officers injured, state police and a town official said.
North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda said the officers were taken to a hospital, but that none had suffered life-threatening injuries in the explosion at a barn at the home around 8:30 p.m.
The North Haven police department was investigating a domestic violence incident around 7 p.m. local time, according to a statement to CBS News. This led to a barricaded individual where SWAT was called in. There was a large explosion during the investigation that prompted street closures.
Authorities say the officers suffered cuts, abrasions and bruises. They were taken to Yale New Haven hospital, but their exact condition and that of the suspect and his family wasn't immediately known.
Residents near the home said on the police department's Facebook page that they heard the explosion and felt their own homes shake around 8:30 p.m. Additional police rushed to the scene as the fire raged, and sounds of smaller explosions also were heard.
"I felt my house shake. It felt like a bomb went off in my attic," David DiMartino, who lives nearby, told the New Haven Register.
Firefighters worked to get the blaze under control more than an hour later.
State police said they were assisting North Haven police with the investigation.
North Haven is located just outside of New Haven, home to Yale University.
It's 27 miles (43 km) south of Hartford, Connecticut's capital.
Police did not immediately release any details about why they were there, but have asked people to either avoid the area or stay in their homes with their lights out.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
