Crime & Safety

Man Threatens Woman, Later Destroys Security Camera in Holding Cell: Middletown Police

Police say the woman hid in a closet after her friend declared his love for her and then threatened to kill her in an outburst.

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A Middletown man is accused of threatening to kill his friend after declaring his love for her, damaging items in her apartment and later breaking a security camera in a booking cell at police headquarters, according to police.

The victim hid in the closet during the man’s outburst until police arrived, according to the police report.

Police responded to the apartment at about 10:45 p.m. on Feb. 9 after receiving a call from a woman who said her friend was hiding in the closet from another friend, Brian Bunch, who was acting out of control, according to the report.

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The victim told police she had been hanging out with her friend and Bunch at her apartment since about 1 p.m. and had been drinking. She said Bunch, 29, was fine all day until “out of nowhere” he got upset around 10:30 p.m. and started saying that he loved her and no one loved him and getting very emotional, according to the report.

At one point, Bunch is accused of pulling her off the couch and causing her to fall on the floor. The victim told police that she hid in an upstairs closet and called her friend, who had left earlier in the day, and she could hear things breaking downstairs.

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“In the apartment there were paintings ripped off the wall and there were broken glass shards around the counter from a broken glass,” police wrote in the report. “Bunch’s erratic behavior was so severe that the victim felt the need to hide in the closet after Bunch made threats to kill her. Between the broken glass and paintings, approximately $40 worth of damage was caused.”

Bunch, of Russett Lane, was placed under arrest and taken to police headquarters on charges of second-degree threatening, third-degree criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Police said that Bunch was placed into a holding cell pending processing where he continued “to act out” and he was seen through one of the security cameras holding an object in his hand after being searched.

Officers responded to the holding cell and discovered that Bunch had “destroyed the security camera in one of the booking cells and was holding the pieces in his hand,” police wrote in the report.

He was additionally charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief for damaging the security camera.

When discussing the earlier incident with police, Bunch denied any criminal activity and said that the two had gotten into a minor argument but later said he had cleaned up the broken glass, according to the report.

Bunch was released on a promise to appear in court on March 17, according to state judicial records.

Image via Shutterstock

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