Fundraiser Thursday (May 24) For 9 Cops Hurt in Explosion

A special event is being held Thursday afternoon, May 24, to honor the members of the SWAT team injured in the May 3rd home explosion in North Haven. The event will be held at the Stony Creek Brewery, 5 Indian Neck Avenue Branford, from 3pm to 9pm to honor the SCR-SWAT members hurt in the North Haven Explosion.

Donations can be placed through our OFFICIAL gofundme page: https://www.gofundme.com/suppo...

Ticket purchases can be made at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/s...

An update on the event from the East Haven Police Department:

Thank you for your ticket purchase and supporting the South Central Regional SWAT! This message is to inform you on a few details regarding the event.

Parking for the event will not be in the Stony Creek Brewery parking lot unless you need handicapped parking. Parking/Shuttle Parking is available at the Branford Train Station located at 39 Maple Street in Branford. Also, limited parking spots are available across the street from the brewery as well as Meadow Street near Kirkham Street. Carpooling is encouraged but not required.

Shuttle busses will be running the day of the event on a continuous loop from 3:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Pickup and drop off locations are the Branford Train Station parking lot and the East entrance of the brewery.

There are NO FIREARMS allowed at the event unless in full uniform (no exceptions). The brewery is closed to the public the day of the event and will not open until the event starts at 3:00 p.m., so please do not arrive earlier than 3:00 p.m.

The team is tentatively scheduled to arrive at the brewery at about 4:25 p.m. If anyone has any questions please contact (203) 676-5253.

Background on the explosion:

On Wednesday, May 2, 2018, the South Central Regional SWAT Team (SCR-SWAT) comprised of officers from the towns of North Haven, East Haven, Branford, North Branford, Madison and Guilford were conducting an operation in the Town of North Haven on Quinnipiac Avenue. Officers were deployed to a residence in an attempt to effect an arrest following an investigation of a domestic violence incident reported earlier.

Officers attempted to draw out the suspect peacefully for several hours. Officers began securing the various buildings on the property when suddenly a massive explosion occurred in the barn. Numerous SWAT officers were in the immediate vicinity of the building when the building exploded, causing a massive fire which spread to several buildings on the property. The force of the explosion was so violent, the officers were blown off their feet, away from the structure. Amidst the chaos, officers on scene, including injured officers acted heroically, rushing towards the danger to rescue their injured comrades.

These officers are the bravest of the brave, working dangerous conditions to keep our communities safe. Nine officers sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized following the blast. Five officers from East Haven, three from North Haven, and one from Branford were sent to the hospital with injuries including concussions, broken bones, burns, and leg and knee injuries.

While all of the officers have finally been released from the hospital, several have very long roads to recovery for their physical and psychological injuries. Some have had, and others will require surgeries. All of them need our help. Our brother officers need our emotional support, but also need financial support as some are single income families and rely on overtime to survive. Money raised on this page will help the officers support their families. Any additional funds not used to support the officers will be donated to charitable organizations that support law enforcement.