Police: Southbury Man Pointed Shotgun At Officer During Stand-Off

A Southbury man reportedly threatened to kill police and pointed a shotgun at an officer’s head while barricaded in his Heritage Village condo this weekend.

According to police, Philip Eaton, 59, of Southbury, held police at bay for several hours in the evening of Friday, July 19, and into the morning hours of Saturday, July 20.

According to the incident report, police responded to Village Street in Heritage Village at 8:26 p.m. on Friday for an ongoing neighbor dispute. Eaton allegedly poured bleach on a female neighbor before police arrived. 

By the time officers arrived on scene, Eaton had called Southbury dispatchers making irrational statements and said that he was barricaded in his bedroom and that he needed help, the police report states.

Police said Southbury officers went up the stairs to his condo, but Eaton would not open the door or make any contact. 

When backup was called and officers attempted to make entry into the condo, he reportedly approached them with a 12-gauge shotgun. Eaton pointed the shotgun at an officer’s head and screamed he would kill anyone who tried to enter his residence, according to police.

A perimeter was then established around Eaton’s condo and Connecticut State Police negotiators were called to the scene. Police negotiators remained in a standoff until 7:35 a.m. Saturday, when Eaton was taken into custody without injury. 

He was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Police said Monday that no charges have been filed and that the case remains open.