When Ridgefield Police responded to a domestic disturbance that ended in the death of homeowner John Valluzzo on May 24, the officers knew going in, according to court paperwork, that Valluzzo was drinking and waving a gun around while screaming at his girlfriend.
The girlfriend's cousin, speaking to her from Boca Raton, Fla., was worried enough upon hanging up to call the Ridgefield Police Department and report the domestic disturbance, the court documents state.
The affidavit and application for a search and seizure warrant was unsealed at Danbury Superior Court Wednesday. It states that the woman in Valluzzo's house locked herself in a bedroom to avoid Valluzzo when he walked out of the bedroom upon hearing the police arrive.
The affidavit states that two officers, Jorge Romero and Sgt. Craig Worster, were sent to the house at 423 Ridgebury Road at about 5 p.m. that day.
The front door was reportedly locked when they arrived, but they discovered the doorway at the breezeway was open. Inside, they saw Valluzzo walking toward them carrying a stainless steel revolver, according to the court documents.
Romero ordered Valuzzo to drop the weapon, "at least twice."
"Valluzzo failed to drop the weapon and approached to within fifteen feet of the officers," the search warrant states. "Ofc. Romero fired two rounds from his department-issued Glock, Model 22, 40 caliber handgun. Both rounds struck Valluzzo in the torso, and he went down. Valluzzo did not appear to fire any rounds."
The next two officers to arrive were Officer Mark Caswell and Lt. Michael Gates. Gates reported seeing Sgt. Worster providing medical attention to Valluzzo. Ridgefield Fire Department medics then arrived and took Valluzzo to Danbury Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
According to the court documents, police located Valluzzo's girlfriend in a bedroom. She reportedly told police that she figured Valluzzo might have been intoxicated when she came home, based on where he had parked his car.
Connecticut State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance told Patch in late May that a toxicology report would likely not be available for six to eight weeks.
Romero has been a police officer for seven years and has received commendations from the department for his service. Following the shooting, as is policy, he was placed on administrative duty.
At the end of the affidavit, police list the items they seized, which include:
- a cell phone
- a S&W MP22 handgun with one magazine
- a custom Kimber MFG Handgun with one magazine
- a Russian SKS 762 Rifle
- a Ruger Mini-14 rifle, caliber .223
- a pellet gun
- two shell casings from a federal S&W .44
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