Woman opens fire in police station lobby, but bulletproof glass intervenes, cops say

A woman walked into a Connecticut police station and opened fire, but bullet-resistant glass thwarted the exchange of gunfire, according to the Bristol Police Department.

It happened around 10:35 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at police headquarters on Main Street in Bristol, about 20 miles southwest of Hartford.

No officers were struck and the woman was arrested “without serious injury,” police said in a news release.

Investigators say the woman walked alone into the lobby and began firing “multiple rounds into the front lobby desk office window which was unoccupied at the time.”

“The rounds did not penetrate the bullet-resistant glass but prompted officers to respond and make contact with the suspect,” police said.

“As officers attempted to negotiate, the subject discharged additional rounds toward responding officers prompting one officer to return fire. However, the rounds were again stopped by bullet-resistant glass.”

The woman then “set the gun down” and police used an electronic stun device to incapacitate her, officials said.

“She was taken to the hospital for evaluation,” police said.

Her identity and a motive have not been released.

The shooting comes after the Bristol Police Department lost two police officers on Oct. 12, 2022, when they were killed responding to a domestic disturbance call, according a Bristol police news release.

Officers Dustin DeMonte and Alex Hamzy died in an “ambush” that involved “at least 80 rounds of gunfire,” NPR reported. A third officer was wounded, but was able to return fire and killed the suspect, police said.

This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 9:16 AM with the headline "Woman opens fire in police station lobby, but bulletproof glass intervenes, cops say."