Emergency Response Team History

Chief Richard Klett

Chief Richard Klett was appointed in July of 1994 and continued to support the ERT mission with manpower and equipment. During this time period Data-Mail Inc. (a private company in the Town of Newington) made a donation of $10,000 to the Newington Police Department to assist with outfitting the ERT vehicle. In 2002 the Town purchased a new equipment trailer to house the team’s equipment. Chief Klett began planning with the Fire and EMS services to create a mobile command post that would be used at ERT incidents. The command post was purchased in 2001 and is known as CP-8. Chief Klett retired in December 2001.

Chief Richard Mulhall

Chief Richard Mulhall was appointed in April of 2002 and carried on the tradition of supporting ERT's mission. In 2003 Chief Mulhall worked with the Capital Region Chiefs of Police to secure funding for the eight regional SWAT/ERT units. The Chiefs of Police Association efforts  resulted in the coordination of the eight teams within the Capital Region. With that coordination, each team's equipment was upgraded.  The team was issued new ballistic helmets with integrated communications gear, standard radio systems and frequencies that allowed all teams to communicate with each other, tactical vests, medical kits, ballistic shields, pole cameras, eye ball cameras, night vision equipment, tactical ballistic blankets, long range acoustic devices (LRADX), and other miscellaneous supplies. On January 27, 2006 Chief Mulhall named Lieutenant William Darby to be the 4th team commander of the unit. Lieutenant Darby retired from the department on May 28, 2010 and Chief Mulhall named Lieutenant John Johnson as the 5th Team Commander of the unit. Lieutenant Nicholas Miano took over as commander of the unit once again for a brief period in 2012 upon the retirement of Lieutenant Johnson. Lieutenant William Jameson became the 7th Team Commander in late 2012.

Chief Stephen Clark

Chief Stephen Clark was appointed in July of 2015.  Chief Clark was one of the original 8 members of the ERT formed in 1990.  During previous tenure with the Newington Police Department Chief Clark held the assignments of Operator, Team Leader, and Team Commander.  After his retirement from the Newington Police Department in 2006, Chief Clark became a Captain with the Vernon Police Department where he was appointed Team Commander for the Capital Region Emergency Services Team (C.R.E.S.T.).  Chief Clark brought his extensive knowledge in tactical operations back to Newington with his appointment as Chief.  

In May of 2023, the Newington Police Department disbanded its Emergency Response Team and entered into an agreement with the Capital Region Emergency Services Team (C.R.E.S.T.) for regional support during critical incidents, hostage situations, barricades, and high-risk warrant services. Moving forward Newington Police personnel members have been selected and assigned to C.R.E.S.T.  These NPD officers respond with other C.R.E.S.T. members to activations in town and throughout the region.

History - Operational Overview and Team Composition

Sniper Team

Newington ERT’s Snipers were active members of the American Sniper Association and took part in the Crosshairs Incorporated New England Police Sniper competition (Harvard MA), the Connecticut SWAT Challenge, and a national police sniper competition hosted by Snipercraft Sniper Week (St. Petersburg, FL). The team’s snipers were trained in a variety of disciplines in numerous tactical environments. In addition to monthly training with the ERT unit the team received training from the FBI, Snipercraft Inc., Sigarms Inc., and Crosshairs Inc.

Equipment

The Newington ERT unit was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and weapons. The officers were issued handguns, MP-5 machine guns, AR-15 type rifles, sniper equipment, chemical resources, Tasers, and a variety of other emergency equipment.

Incidents

Newington ERT has responded to many incidents.  Summarized below are a few examples of team activations:

• Hostage situation, armed barricaded persons at local businesses, apartment complexes, and private homes. Suspect(s) were taken into custody and handguns, shotguns, rifles, and knifes were seized.
• Search Warrants - narcotics where narcotics were recovered along with handguns, rifles, shotguns were seized.
• Armed suicidal person at local motel complex. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to hospital for emergency committal, handguns and shotguns were recovered.
• Area search for armed suspect to assist another police agency. The suspect was found dead of self-inflicted gunshot.
• Area search for armed suspect who murdered an East Hartford Police Officer. Area searched with negative results. The suspects were apprehended days later.
• Search and Arrest warrant assist to IRS. The suspect was taken into custody and turned over to Federal Authorities.
• Murdered police officer at a domestic at a private home. The suspect barricaded himself inside the home and fired at responding officers with a high-powered rifle. Team sniper was able to wound the individual who latter took his own life. The murder weapon and other weapons were seized.

2023 Final Team Members

• Lieutenant William Jameson - Team Commander
• Sergeant Derek Aivano - Team Leader
• Master Police Officer Paul Camara - Assistant Team Leader
• Sergeant Ryan Deane - Sniper/Observer
• Officer Timothy Buggee - Operator
• Officer Timothy Rinaldo - Sniper/Observer
• Officer Tyler Zajac - Operator
• Officer Richard Petoskey - Operator
• Officer Eric Chapdelaine - Operator
• Officer Thomas Bugbee - Operator
• Officer Larrie Douglas - Operator
• Officer Christopher Cappiello - Operator 

Crisis Negotiators

• Sergeant Scott Amalfi - Crisis Negotiations Team Supervisor
• Officer Derrick Walker - Crisis Negotiator
• Officer Dean Corriveau - Crisis Negotiator

Former Members

• Lieutenant William Cotter - Team Commander 
• Lieutenant Frederick Casioppo - Team Leader 
• Lieutenant Nicholas Miano - Team Commander and Team Leader
• Lieutenant Steven Clark - Team Commander and Team Operator 
• Lieutenant William Darby - Team Commander 
• Lieutenant John Johnson - Team Commander and Team Leader 
• Sergeant Brendan Moon - Team Leader 
• Sergeant Jason Saccente - Team Leader 
• Sergeant Christopher Perry - Assistant Team Leader 
• Sergeant Claude Steiner - Operator
• Sergeant Geoffrey Anderson - Asst. Team Leader
• Sergeant Michael Tkac - Sniper/Observer
• Sergeant James LoStocco - Asst Team Leader
• Sergeant John Zematis - Operator
• Sergeant William Jordan - Operator
• Detective Anthony Casasanta - Operator
• Detective Daniel Reed - Operator
• Master Police Officer Robert Womer - Operator
• Master Police Officer James Horan - Operator
• Master Police Officer Brian Gallagher - Operator
• Master Police Officer Raymond Reynolds - Sniper/Observer
• Master Police Officer James Johnson 
• Officer James Doyle - Operator
• Officer Paul Boutot - Operator
• Officer Brendan Fitzgerald - Operator
• Officer Jeffrey Wagner - Operator
• Officer Reza Abbassi - Operator
• Sergeant Brendon LaChance - Operator
• Sergeant Henry Rodriguez - Operator
• Officer Eric Petlik - Operator
• Detective Laurence DeSimone - Operator
• Officer Giovanni Zaino - Operator
• Sergeant Mark Benham - Operator 
• Officer Ciara McDermott - Crisis Negotiator
• Detective Ronald Manzione - Crisis Negotiator
• Master Police Officer Brian Skehan - Crisis Negotiator
• Master Police Officer John DiNardi - Crisis Negotiator
• Master Police Officer Daniel Kaufmann - Crisis Negotiator
• Sergeant Kenneth O’Brien - Crisis Negotiator Supervisor
• Officer Jamie DeSimone - Crisis Negotiator

We thank all of the officers who were involved with Newington PD's Emergency Response Team.