Cheshire Police defend response time

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Article Last Updated: 07/31/2007 03:20:49 PM EDT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Cheshire police say reports that it took 30 minutes to reach the burning home where a mother and her two daughters were found dead are “absolutely false.”

The state’s attorney who is prosecuting the case has asked that the exact time when officers were dispatched to the scene not be immediately released, police say.

But Lt. Jay Markella, a spokesman for the Cheshire Police Department, denied that it took police a half-hour to get to the home where Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters died after being held hostage.

“Any reporting of a 30-minute response time is absolutely false,” he told The Associated Press on Monday. “I don’t know where they’re getting their information from.”

“I am proud of the way this department responded,” Markella said. “It seems some aspects of the media are just looking for a scapegoat as to why this happened.”

William Petit Sr., the father of the lone survivor of the July 23 fire, said his family does not have a problem with how long it took police to arrive at the home.

“As far as we know, the response time was immediate,” he said. “We’re very satisfied with the police response.”

The killings have attracted national media attention. In addition to a few media reports, some Cheshire residents have publicly questioned whether there was too long a lag time between the initial 911 call and police arriving at the home.

State police, which is the lead investigator in the case, have said Jennifer
Advertisement
Hawke-Petit was taken by one of the suspects to a local Bank of America branch and withdrew money shortly after 9:30 a.m. Bank officials then notified Cheshire police about the suspicious withdrawal.

The time of that call has not been released.

The local bank branch declined comment, and a call was left seeking comment with the Bank of America headquarters.

Debbie Biggins, a Cheshire resident who was in the bank at the time, said Hawke-Petit looked pale and tense. She said it was around 9:25 a.m., but noted that she did not have her watch on.

“I knew something was wrong,” Biggins said. “She was doing what she could to save her family.”

A teller handed a white piece of paper to an office manager, who then went into her office, Biggins said. Police arrived within five minutes, she said.

“They were there fast,” Biggins said.

Biggins said the bank was supposed to open at 9 a.m., but opened at least 15 minutes late.

Citing the state’s Freedom of Information Act, the AP has requested information on what time police were called.

Lt. Paul Vance, spokesman for the state police, said last week that Cheshire officers were “immediately dispatched” to the bank and the Petit home.

When the first officer arrived, he saw the suspects, 26-year-old Joshua Komisarjevsky of Cheshire and 44-year-old Steven Hayes of Winsted, leaving the burning home and get into one of the Petits’ vehicles. Police said they rammed the officer’s cruiser to get out of the driveway and tried to ram two more police cars down the road that were blocking the street, but were captured at gunpoint.

Court documents indicate the men were arrested at 10:01 a.m.

After firefighters put out the fire, they discovered inside the home the bodies of Hawke-Petit, 48, and her two daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. Dr. William Petit, 50, badly beaten, escaped from the burning house.

Hawke-Petit was strangled and her daughters died of smoke inhalation, according to autopsy results and police.

Komisarjevsky and Hayes, convicted burglars with lengthy nonviolent criminal records, were out on parole when the attack occurred. They’ve been charged with capital felony, assault, arson, sexual assault and numerous other crimes in the homicides.

Markella said he is asking the public and media to be patient about getting information about the police response times and any tapes of phone calls. He said the department does not want to compromise the New Haven State’s Attorney Michael Dearington’s death penalty case against Komisarjevsky and Hayes.

“He says don’t release them. I say good for him,” Markella said. “We would hate to see any release of information from preventing the individuals from receiving what they deserve, and that would be death.”