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The incident took place in Hartford on Monday, April 24 around 10:30 a.m. on Asylum Street.
According to state police, an on-duty sergeant, working in a plain-clothes capacity with his State Police badge displayed, was entering his assigned vehicle which was parked on Asylum Street in Hartford.
As the sergeant began to enter his vehicle, a man with long hair, wearing eyeglasses, seated in the driver’s seat of a silver Honda Accord began to shout at the sergeant and asked the sergeant if he was “a cop,” said police.
Police said after the sergeant confirmed that he was in fact a member of law enforcement, the unidentified male responded by saying that he “kills cops.” Using profane language, the unidentified man went on to threaten to kill the sergeant specifically.
In response to the threat, the sergeant began to approach the Honda, issuing verbal directives to the unidentified male, intending to take the man into custody.
The male ignored directives issued by the sergeant and fled the area in the Honda, The sergeant was able to obtain the Connecticut registration plate and provided the information to Troop H dispatch, police said.
The Honda then came to a stop a short distance away, where the unidentified male leaned out the vehicle’s window, displayed an obscene hand gesture, and yelled profanities at the sergeant before continuing westbound on Asylum Street, police added.
Unable to maintain visual contact with the Honda, the sergeant began traveling toward Troop H to continue the investigation.
A short time later, the sergeant spotted the same silver Honda traveling on Pulaski Circle and advised Troop H that he was attempting to initiate a motor vehicle stop by activating his emergency lights and siren.
The silver Honda then accelerated, entering the Whitehead Highway and traveling towards I-91, where the Honda was observed traveling in a reckless and erratic manner at speeds in excess of 100 mph. In the interest of public safety, the stop was terminated, police said.
During the investigation, the sergeant was able to positively identify Raymond Lapinski, age 29, of Hartford, as the individual who had threatened to kill him and engaged in the pursuit, police said.
A database check revealed that Lapinski was also the subject of active arrest warrants held by two local police departments.
State Police then drafted an arrest warrant for Lipinski relative to the threatening incident and pursuit, which was submitted to Hartford Superior Court for review.
After learning of the active arrest warrants for Lapinski on Tuesday, April 25, state police and Hartford Police, attempted to locate Lapinski within the city of Hartford.
At approximately 9:16 a.m., investigators made contact with Lapinski who was found walking in the area of Asylum Avenue and Ann Ucello Street. After verbally identifying themselves as members of law enforcement, troopers instructed Lapinski to lie down on the ground, police said.
In response, Lapinski reached toward his waistband and retrieved a knife, police said. Based upon prior threats of violence made by Lapinski and his brandishing a dangerous weapon capable of causing serious physical injury or death, troopers drew their duty weapons, at which time Lapinski complied with orders to drop the knife. The knife was secured and later seized as evidence, and Lapinski was taken into custody.
As Lapinski was being escorted to a Hartford Police cruiser, police said he began actively resisting being placed in the cruiser, becoming combative with troopers.
The sergeant whom Lapinski is accused of threatening and a state police detective each sustained minor injuries during the struggle to secure Lapinski in the cruiser, the department said.
Lapinski was subsequently transported to the Hartford Correctional Center where he was processed and charged with the following:
- Two counts of assault of a public safety officer
- Criminal attempt to commit assault
- Interfering with an officer
- Carrying a dangerous weapon
Lapinski was held on a $ 1 million bond and transferred to the custody of the CT Department of Corrections pending his arraignment.
Arrests from several other jurisdictions are anticipated.
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