WILTON – Police sent a tactical team into an apartment complex early Wednesday morning to search for a New York man whom officers say fired a gun and may have had a hostage.
Residents at the Fernwold apartment complex, off Route 2 in Wilton, called 911 saying they had heard a gunshot, police Chief Wayne Gallant said.
Officer Robert Cole responded to the scene and found that the suspect, Christopher M. Jackson, 24, of New York state, had left the building where residents said the gunshot came from.
Concerned Jackson was still in the complex, armed, and possibly holding a hostage, Cole called for backup, Gallant said. About 25 officers, including a state police tactical team, responded and, after getting a search warrant, searched the apartment where they believed the suspect was hiding.
Police did not find Jackson, but found a small-caliber handgun and other evidence of a crime, Gallant said.
A statewide advisory issued by state police later Wednesday stated Jackson was being sought on charges of terrorizing with a firearm and unlawful discharge of a firearm. There is also a warrant for his arrest from Albany, N.Y., alleging a probation violation, according to the advisory.
Jackson was agitated and upset about something when he fired the gun, but he didn’t shoot anybody, Gallant said.
Several Fernwold residents and neighbors to the apartment complex heard the fight.
Brandy Thomas, who lives across the parking lot from the apartment said she heard, “a pop and male voices arguing about something.” She rolled over and went back to sleep after being awakened by the noises, but woke up again around 5:30 a.m. to find the complex had been blocked by police cars.
Thomas said she heard officers had to wait to search the complex until they got a search warrant.
“For something like that, they shouldn’t need a warrant – there are kids here,” she said.
All the adult residents outside the building repeated the fact that Fernwold is a family complex. As they spoke, looking bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, a toddler in a pink dress ran on the sidewalk.
“It’s too bad – we just got this place cleaned up from troubles like this,” Thomas said.
Several people outside the complex said they weren’t sure if they’d sleep there Wednesday night.
“I was scared to even sit in my living room this morning – I was looking in closets – it’s really wigging me out,” Thomas said.
“I may not stay here tonight. What’s going to be next? A drive-by?” mused Rebecca Bouvier.
Police are looking for Jackson, and have asked all the departments in Franklin County, state police, Lewiston and Rumford police to be on the lookout for him.
Gallant described Jackson as a black male, 6-feet, 1-inch tall and weighing 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He may be armed, and is considered an escape risk, Gallant said.
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