State Police ID Bank Robbery Suspect From Police-Involved Shooting

A suspect is still in the hospital Saturday the day after a police-involved shooting and tasing incident in the Bolton Notch area stemming from a South Windsor bank robbery that led to a police chase, according to Tolland County Dispatch and Manchester police.

State police have identified Christopher T. Anderson, 53, of Hartford, as the bank robbery suspect police shot after the pursuit.

Route 44 was closed near Quarry Road, but it has reopened, according to dispatchers.

It started when a man handed tellers a note demanding money at First Niagara Bank at 481 Buckland Road in South Windsor on Friday.

A South Windsor police officer saw him fleeing the bank and get into a Toyota Matrix. The officer chased after him into Manchester and a group of Manchester police officers joined in on the pursuit at about 3:30 p.m. The suspect refused to stop for South Windsor and Manchester police.

State police from the Troop K barracks in Colchester responded to the area of routes 384 and 6 in Manchester to help South Windsor and Manchester police with the pursuit at about 3:30 p.m.

The chase ended on Route 44 in Bolton, where the Anderson crashed on the right side of the roadway, according to state police. The suspect started driving again and made it 200 yards before his vehicle broke down near the intersection of Routes 44 and 6, east of Bolton Notch.

As, State Trooper Brian Contenta and police officers approached the vehicle, state police said Anderson got out of the car and was brandishing a weapon in his hand when he got out of the car and disobeyed authorities' commands to stop. He advanced toward the trooper and officers, state police said.

Manchester Police Officer Jason Wagner deployed a Taser, but it didn't stop the suspect, who ripped the probes out. Anderson continued advancing on the officers with the weapon, prompting Contenta and Manchester Police Officer Layau Eulizier to open fire on him simultaneously and shoot him, state police said. It's unknown how many times Anderson was shot.

“I did see the guy laying on the ground and I said, 'Oh my god, I think they shot him.' Yeah, it was scary," eyewitness Katrina Jones said.

There is no word on how many shots were fired, but witnesses said they heard as many as five gun shots.

Many had heard the final moments of a dangerous police pursuit.

“Then it got kind of quiet even though the sirens were still going and I heard five loud pops and I got up to close my office door because I thought somebody was shooting right outside my office," Jones said.

Edward Dobranski said he saw 20 police cruisers and said to himself, "..Wow, I didn't even know we had that many cruisers in the area."

Anderson was taken to Hartford Hospital in an ambulance after the trooper and officers administered first aid. His condition is unknown. Contenta, Wagner and Eulizier weren't injured, but they were taken to the hospital to be evaluated. 

Contenta has been temporarily assigned to administrative duty pending the completion of the investigation, per state police policy. Wagner, the officer who deployed the taser, has been with the Manchester Police Department for 13 years. Eulizier, the Manchester officer who fird the gun, has been with the department for one year.

Police said Anderson acted alone.

Staff of a hardware store on Bolton Turnpike reported seeing five police cruisers. Dozens of officers were on scene as of 4:52 p.m.

Video submitted by a witness in a nearby business captures what sounds like gunshots fired.

Detectives from the Eastern District Major Crime squad and the state's attorney's office in New London responded to the scene. They are looking into how many shots were fired and whether the suspect was indeed armed, state police said.

The Eastern District Major Crime squad continues to investigate the incident. State police were still on scene as of 3 a.m.

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