you got all enraged came up said who you
talking to Bam right my colors changed
be surprised I got another concussion
what's the name that came back on the
back to an Alan an is he pressing
charges against me like for breach an
ordinary commute turns violent for one
Connecticut man when he encounters an
off-duty police officer at a red light
is this civilian up against impossible
odds when reporting the road rage of One
Cop to another two men are locked in a
war of competing stories filled with
shocking twists and no one anticipates
that the ultimate truth will come in the
form of a car's dash cam is I yell stuff
for assault cuz you hit him he's saying
that I hit him yes let me get your badge
[Music]
number you want to get arrested shortly
after noon on December 8th 2023 a man
calls 911 with a bizarre story of sudden
violence on the streets of Rocky Hill
connect good Rocky Hill yeah just
emergency I was just assaulted by a
police officer he punched me in the face
through my window he was off duty got
out flash his badge and then he came up
to me with an attitude and hit me right
in the face what is your name Thomas
bruglio and was he white black Hispanic
white all right I'm G to have an officer
head over there is his vehicle still
there he flew into the parking lot I
wasn't trying to follow him but I didn't
see where in the parking lot he went
okay I'm going to have somebody come out
and speak to you okay just stay in the
vehicle you do see him again just call
us back on 911 but don't um engage with
him okay y problem with police on their
way bruglio calls a colleague about the
assault adding in a few new details
about the violent encounter as you'll
hear in the following clip the call is
caught on his dash cam which also shows
his K9
passenger turn right toward 3 South I'm
going to be a little while okay you know
my luck sitting at of red light some guy
sitting in front of me I honk the horn
he jumps out of the cars flashing his
badge saying he's off duty cop he comes
up saying this that takes the license
plate then goes to get back in his car
and then like rages out comes over
punches me in my face and now I'm
waiting for the cops to come Jesus
Christ okay all right yeah you all right
yeah all right let me know what happens
Rocky Hill Police meet bruglio at a
nearby shopping center and get the full
story of the altercation did you say
that the the other vehicle pulled in
here he pulled in but I think he just
pulled in over there to whip out of here
turned
around all the things he just pulled in
turned around and pulled back out again
doesn't believe he sold me a
lot so me right here need amance or
anything no so what what happened uh we
were at that light down there past D
Donuts he was in front of me it was you
know red light I was coming out turning
to go this way to go down here so you
were on France Street like Cumberland
was on your right yes correct okay and I
was sitting there he was in front of me
you said you were in the right hand lane
correct turning he was in the right hand
lane in front of me turning his red
light he was doing whatever he was doing
I just get him a little Horn Tap you
know tell him to go because there was
green it was a red lighted light right
nobody's coming so then he decided to
jump out flash his badge come back take
the picture of my plate and then he came
back up said you know I'll see you with
the court or see you with the ticket
blah blah blah started walking to his
car I asked him for his badge number
since he wanted to flash his badge
number to me he got all enraged came up
said who you talking to Bam right my it
should be noted that bruglio story has
stayed remarkably consistent through
three separate retellings the officer
tries to uncover the identity of this
off-duty cop did you were able to see
the badge like department or anything or
silver
gold you know about what time this was
like right before you called yeah two
five seconds before I came back
on back to an Alan Gan with the new
information in hand the responding
officer heads back to his unit to make a
call hey is that any name you know yeah
that looks like he might be police trace
the name back to a school resource
officer and it's not long before they
uncover more about his identity just
search to see what what
to the name definitely matches Alan G
you want me to get a written statement
from this guy yeah yeah and I'm I'm
gonna get T call you just send me the
list of the sros I don't know what is
for though you got the picture I sent
yeah okay does that match uh I didn't
check like a DMV
photo you have uh just grab your
license left my phone I'm going to grab
a photo and then grab a uh a written
statement from you as the police gather
evidence from the accuser another piece
of Vital Information comes out about the
alleged as salent name that he found is
out
of want do this here or bring him to the
station whatever you more comfortable
with I didn't know if just you wanted
everything recorded you know no you got
your body cam so yeah if you're
comfortable doing it here that's fine
I'll go do some research on this and see
if it's the same guy police dig for more
information on the suspect while bruglio
makes it clear that he's not taking the
incident lightly I I should have asked
ahead of time I'm assuming you want to
pursue charges okay you sure to include
too that when you got hit if it caused
you any pain or anything like that yeah
colors changed be surprised got another
concussion with bruglio statement in
hand the officer decides to grab one
more piece of evidence are you sure
you're okay I just want to take a look
make sure it didn't uh I'll take another
picture it got a little
redder it's like you wake up tomorrow or
later tonight it's all black and blue
and everything everything feel free to
take a picture my emails on the card you
can send that to all right apprciate
before leaving an ominous possibility
occurs to the cop taking bruglio
statement does this come back to your
address business okay Total Protection
where is that but it's not your home no
the plate I gave you for the complainant
has it been run recently since the
incident the responding officer is
concerned that ganter has used police
resources to track down his accuser
since all they know about him th far is
that he's allegedly violent this could
have serious implications for bruglio
safety interestingly when they meet up
with Alan ganter at his residence they
find that the license played is on his
mind as
well all right I'm debating whether to
say how you doing because I'm here well
I understand why P when they pulled up I
said because what I was gonna do is I'm
off today for the weekend yeah and
basically what I was going to do is I
ask my supervisor to call my lieutenant
and say this is what happened I have the
pl do I have you guys run it or do I
call Rocky Hill and say this is what
happened to have them run it and speak
to the guy supervisor I got out of the
car you know yeah whatever you want I'll
give you a scor written statement
whatever it is photo why don't I grab
some uh some forms and you can write it
out yeah so ganter who was awarded the
rank of Corporal the year prior seems
confident that it's all a big
misunderstanding however it quickly
becomes clear that he is the one
misunderstanding the situation is he
pressing charges against me like for
breach yes I yell St for assault cuz you
hit
him he's saying that I hit him yes
ganter is stunned to hear this but what
he doesn't know is that Thomas bruglio
statement came with an added surprise he
was alone he was alone I got a dash cam
too so are you able to pull up your dash
cam I mean I'm just it's got SD card so
not right now my computer is but I you'd
be able to give me the SD
card this changes things a fact again
seems to grasp almost immediately he's
saying that I hit him yeah and he has
video that you hit him he has video that
you still want to give me a statement
well here's the thing I'm G to cooperate
any man I can listen been doing this job
for almost 25 years okay but I probably
should have to call my supervisor my
union delegate whatever it is you want
give what do he so he's saying that I
hit him yes okay and he has a red mark
on his
face this side yeah and there's nothing
where I can press for for breach of
Peace for yelling at me whatever it is
or it's just well I tell you I've seen
the video so I know he didn't yell at
you well I can hear him tooting his horn
it's front and back okay did it show him
doing the double finger when I said
listen officer I can't turn on you the
finger yeah yeah
okay do you want to call yeah so what is
so you're gonna you're gonna what charge
me with well right now this looks like
assault I don't think there's anything
else so what I'm saying is I don't know
if I'm charging you with anything right
now but I'm here to get your side of the
story okay oh you're saying you're just
by warrant you're not going to I don't
know I I got to call my boss after I
talked to you okay so all right I'm a
here it's very frustrating but let me
um ganter now realizes that the officer
hasn't only watched the dash cam footage
already but that the video is even more
comprehensive than he thought and there
is an interior camera I don't this it's
my father's vanan uh so there might be
both sides of the video forward facing
and ruglio dash cam footage shows
everything leading up to the incident as
well as the altercation itself whether
or not there's enough blame to go around
will be for police to decide the footage
that follows is the full video captured
that
day what we
doing what are you doing where off day
oh on R really where does it say that it
says stop here on red you're the one
sitting on your phone doing other was on
my phone really no it wasn't yeah I saw
you looking down doing everything else
there's a bit of irony in the fact that
the dash cam footage does show that
bruglio was in fact on his phone but as
the footage also captures this is the
moment everything goes wrong no no I was
moving something in my bag okay well and
I'll see you with a ticket and I'll pull
your supervisor sure sounds good let me
get you badge
number you want to get arrested you're
going to get arrested for Assa in a
civilian the dash cam footage speaks for
itself but ganter hasn't seen it yet he
believes there may still be room to push
a different narrative okay this showan
doing the double finger when I said
officer the finger yeah okay my fault
come on I should have just not even yeah
he was just being such my should my
badge I'm like I can't turn on red here
there's traffic he said get off your
phone I'm like I'm not on my
phone oh boy I'm wrong for what I did
Sir okay yeah my question is this though
because he's yelling at me and I
actually show my badge he's G me the
double finger I mean I know it's trivial
but does he get hit with like breach or
whatever it is or nothing or it's just
it's all on me because I got out of the
car to take a picture of his plate and
then I did what I did yeah no I
understand yeah to be determined okay
while the law in Connecticut prohibits
the use of abusive or obscene language
or gestures in public places as a breach
of Peace giving someone the finger is
considered protected speech under the
Constitution therefore although the
statute exists it cannot legally
criminalize this action because of this
arresting or ticketing the driver based
on him flipping off off the officer
would have been a violation of the
driver's constitutional rights and
officer ganter is out of line for
attempting such a tactic however it is
important to note that making threats in
addition to such gestures Alters the
situation as threats are not protected
speech without giving ganter much hope
of countercharges the responding officer
calls this Sergeant to let him know how
things are going with the suspect um he
says he's going to cooperate but he's
calling either his lieutenant or his
Union delegate and he's thing you know
he say like the guy says I hit him I'm
like yeah and you did I let him know he
said something about like he wants to
like you know maybe do a breach against
the other guy for throwing the bird
ganter's desire to see bruglio charged
may be a long shot but he has another
reason why police might want to go easy
on him just ask you sir when i1 CU like
I said I'm fully cooperate whatever it
is and I threw but it wasn't a hard
punch so it's like I know you may have a
mark whatever this but it's like is it
going to be a breach or saw third or I
know there's a difference when you
severe injury to when you have three
when people or whatever it is just
between you and I like I said it's you
know he's been whatever it is my fault
for not having self-control because he's
doing the double thing or whatever it is
I'm like I wasn't on my phone but my
thing is the punch wasn't that hard
because I understand like we do those
stuff all the time so that's my question
is that is it just gonna be a simple
breach or is it going to be a salt third
because I have nothing on my hands this
is all dry from you know whatever it is
so the officer doesn't give ganter any
hints as to the official charge but he
does photograph his hands as evidence
for dry from
uh having collected the photos the
officer turns his attention to another
important matter well you said it's in
your truck your firearm it is off duty
in its holster yeah and it's in a duffel
bag that you saw that that there's a
blue gym bag on the bottom did you have
that with you when this happened yeah
all my stuff was was in the truck but I
didn't touch that all okay no I'm just
asking no no no the officer lets his
Sergeant know that ganter's cooperation
will only extend so far just so you know
he talked to his union rep and he's not
going to give a statement at this time I
mean do you plan on I'm gonna I'm just G
based on Union never been to this before
but I'm saying are you gonna like talk
to your union guy more and then possibly
you know absolutely I mean like I said I
have to call my captain and everybody
let them all know what's going on but at
the same time it's like yeah I'm I can't
cooperate I'm just telling you that
right now based from what they call me
back was I told them I gave you a verbal
account we responsible but they just
said at this point before I meet with a
union lawyer not to put anything in
right okay no disrespect to you sir no I
got you I got you I understand I
apologize
for ganter seems to remain in a good
mood which can only improve when he
speaks to the Rocky Hill Sergeant who
tells him that he won't be immediately
arrested Ganer responds by again
downplaying the incident so we're going
to do um this war gives us
time Bas what get them allow to come
statement that way give be the most
respectful process possible I'm saying I
appreciate that sir and I'm also very
I'm apologized for wasting your time
because
uh I'm sorry s might just one question
for you is I know you have to do
everything by the thing but here's my
concern is that I'm run for what I did
but because we deal this all stuff from
my you know meran it wasn't that hard of
a punch to my whole thing is I just need
to know what I need to tell like my
supervisors like is this going to be
like a simple breach for me throwing
that or is this guy trying to claim like
whatever with Assa third or whatever it
was because I understand it may be a
slight Mark whatever it is but it wasn't
a hard punch you know what I'm saying so
the Chargers I'm just saying because um
Sergeant Smith assures ganter that the
process will address those concerns
which lead ganter to once again test out
his second tactic and one to sir not to
interrupt but when I was asking your
officer here is that obviously I'm at
fault what I did getting out of the car
but there's nothing in terms of me
giving you a state if I was to give a
statement like towards him what he said
to me with a double finger and after I
showed the badge and do Nico supervisor
there's nothing in terms of him in
breach if he reported everything inside
his cab he was very disrespectful and
swearing back at me and stuff I think I
mean you
know
understood okay sorry to waste your time
then I'm sorry the arrest if there is to
be one shall be postponed to a later
date in the meantime ganter has one last
chance to outline his biggest concern
anything else anything any other
questions for me anything no no I I so I
got it all right so don't take it as
disrespect towards you doing your job
that you know call you I never been in a
situation like this before so it's
neither I like from this side so I mean
listen I you know I want to make it as
painless as possible make sure that
charges at like you said I I'm
responsible but that he's not going to
try to make this into some type of like
major thing it's it's it's a thing don't
get me wrong responsible but the
uh ganter may be in an unfamiliar
situation but this isn't the first time
he's faced backlash the Hartford current
conducted a review and found that the
Meridan Police Department had far more
complaints filed against it than
Connecticut Departments of similar size
ganter himself had five complaints
against him more than all but two of his
colleagues that revieww was done in 2011
ganter's statement or lack thereof in
this case has come to an end but the
officers on scene have some parting
remarks you didn't see the
video and when you said that I
said the dash cam video May hold the
truth but filming yourself is a
double-edged sword the footage also
captures bruglio waiting for police to
arrive time he spends replaying the
altercation with a different outc
come him right
there
what girl you should have bit
him could have killed him come
up if the dog has opinions on the
situation she keeps them to herself
without that input law enforcement
officials came to their own resolution
and a warrant was issued for ganter's
arrest the Middle School SRO turned
himself in 12 days after the incident
and was charged with breach of peace and
assault in the third degree in addition
to the charges ganter was permanently
removed from his assignment as a
schooled resource officer according to
the meritan police department an
internal investigation concluded that
ganter violated the police department's
code of conduct which led to him being
suspended for 5 days without pay ganter
will also be required to attend
deescalation training for the next 3
years ganter told investigators that he
quote phased out during the altercation
and was not aware that he had hit puglio
until feeling something on his hand at
that point he remembers thinking oh my
God what just happened he acknowledged
wrongdoing however saying it was a
moment of quote just plain stupidity
ganter was given accelerated
Rehabilitation by the court if he
completes the program without further
incident by January 2025 the charges
will be dismissed