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A man who was arrested last weekend in Stamford for threatening to hurt people at the Newfield Green Shopping Center was in a vehicle found by Bridgeport Police packed with cans of gasoline after officers were sent to check out a heavy odor of gasoline.
Amin Hasan, 43, of Stamford, was arrested on Saturday, Dec. 5, after Stamford Police responded to the shopping center after multiple reports that Hasan was screaming and yelling at shoppers and acting "very agitated," said Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin.
Hasan was driving a rented van at the time he was stopped by Stamford Police. Inside officers found 13 canisters of gasoline, an ax, and a hatchet, Conklin said.
When officers attempted to arrest Hasan he began fighting with the officer who was assisted by a retired officer who was nearby before backup could arrive. Four officers were injured in the fight, Conklin said.
Police believe Hasan was a threat to shoppers and may have intended to harm someone.
He was arrested and charged with:
- Four counts of assaulting a police officer
- Breach of Peace
- Resisting arrest/fighting with officers
He was being held in jail following the incident.
Police had been looking for Hasan's vehicle when Bridgeport Police responded around 11 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8, to Fairfield Avenue, said Scott Appleby, director of emergency management for Bridgeport.
After finding the vehicle, information was obtained that the vehicle was wanted by the Stamford Police Department and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Appleby said.
Stamford police were contacted and responded to check and recovered the vehicle for their investigation, he added.
The investigation is ongoing into the incidents and additional charges may be pending.
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