Town Of Groton Police Honor Officers Who Caught Homicide Suspect

GROTON, CT — Two police officers are being honored by the department "for their diligent actions in 2024 that led to the arrest of a homicide suspect," according to Town of Groton police.

Officers Eric Kunze and Eric Chomka responded to the Stonington Institute at 618 Poquonnock Road in Groton on March 25 at 10:34 a.m. on a report of a man in the parking lot bleeding from his head.

They arrived and found firefighters treating the victim, who they determined had been seriously injured in an assault.

The officers then interviewed nearby witnesses who said the suspect had fled to the nearby High Rock Inn. Officers Kunze and Chomka then went in separate directions to find the suspect.

Witnesses identified the suspect to Chomka as Antwan Strickland, 31, of Hartford. Meanwhile, Kunze searched nearby businesses and found an individual matching the suspect’s description at a hair salon.

The officers took Strickland into custody without incident.

He was sentenced in November to five years in prison and three years of probation for second-degree manslaughter.

"Chief L. J. Fusaro Jr. recognized that Officers Kunze and Chomka’s professionalism, diligence, and quick actions led to the apprehension of a dangerous felon," the statement from police reads.

Chomka and Kunze were recognized with department coins for their efforts.

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