Thomas Breen photo
1 Union Ave.: Not burned down.
City police arrested a 44-year-old man Wednesday morning for trying to light the city police department on fire.
According to a social media post by the New Haven Police Department’s (NHPD) X account, city police officers responded to the department’s headquarters at 1 Union Ave. at around 7:21 a.m. “after a male was seen pouring lighter fluid on the front door.” Officers then found the man “actively flicking a lighter trying to ignite the fluid and yelling things like ‘burn it down.’ ”
City police spokesperson Christian Bruckhart confirmed that the suspect allegedly “sprayed the lighter fluid on the exterior of both sets of doors,” by the detention facility and the lobby. He was taken into custody in that same area outside the building.
An arrest report written by Officer Nisaiah Moore notes that Lt. Jason Weted was the first to transmit over the radio Wednesday morning that “he was notified of a male putting lighter fluid on the exterior doors to the New Haven Police Department Detention Facility.” Weted then said the man “continued walking toward the front desk of the police department.” Sgt. James Evarts followed up by transmitting over the radio that he “needed units to the front lobby of the building.”
Officers made their way to the lobby and found a man “actively flicking a hand lighter toward the ground saying something along the lines of he will burn the building to the ground.”
Moore drew his department-issued firearm and pointed it at the man and told him to get on the ground. Moore then holstered his gun, placed the man on the ground, and put him in handcuffs “without incident.”
Officers spoke with a witness, who said he was in the vestibule of the police department’s detention facility at the time when the suspect, a Fair Haven resident, “began pouring lighter fluid on the exterior doors.”
The suspect was placed under arrest and charged with first-degree breach of peace and first-degree criminal attempt to commit arson. He was transported to the police department’s detention facility, and is currently being held on a $50,000 bond.
The suspect was “negative for active warrants at this time,” according to Moore’s report.